WBBL: Adelaide Strikers sign England batter Bouchier; Redmayne named Brisbane Heat captain
New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) England batter Maia Bouchier has signed a one-year contract with Adelaide Strikers for the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season. Maia, who previously represented Melbourne Stars in the competition, fills the overseas slot vacated by Tammy Beaumont.
She arrives at the Strikers on the back of strong domestic form, having scored a one-day century against Ireland earlier this month followed by consecutive hundreds for Hampshire in county cricket. Her addition rounds out the team’s overseas roster comprising England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone and South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt.
“I’m really excited to be joining the Adelaide Strikers and adding to an already talented squad. They’ve built a strong reputation in the WBBL, and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help the group achieve success and make a deep run into the finals.
“I’m also thrilled to be reuniting with Luke Williams. We’ve worked together before and I have a lot of respect for him as a coach, so I’m looking forward to working with him again and getting to know my new teammates,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Welcoming her addition, head coach Williams praised Maia’s ability to make an immediate impact at the top of the order. “Maia is an outstanding talent and someone who has established herself as one of the most exciting batters in international cricket.
“She brings a proven ability to score quickly at the top of the order, as well as valuable experience from playing in major competitions around the world. Having worked with Maia before, I know the quality she possesses both as a player and as a person. We’re delighted to welcome her to the Strikers and look forward to seeing the impact she can have this season.”
In another major WBBL development, Queensland wicketkeeper-batter Georgia Redmayne has been appointed captain of Brisbane Heat, and takes over the reins from long-serving skipper, Australia left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Jess Jonassen.
Georgia, 32, recently led Queensland Fire to a Women’s National Cricket League title after Jess stepped down from state leadership roles in March. She has scored 2,174 runs in 87 matches for the franchise and becomes the fifth player to lead the Brisbane Heat in WBBL history.
“We didn’t perform to our expectations last year, but I was encouraged by the resilience and fightback from the core of the Queensland group to bounce back and win the WNCL.
“We have a lot to be excited about from developing the players within our group and what we can achieve this season, as well as drawing from the experience of senior players like ‘JJ’ (Jess Jonassen), Grace Harris, Charli Knott and our internationals,” she said.
Heat head coach Mark Sorell pointed towards Georgia’s to her proven leadership track record at the state level. “She is a team player and a natural leader, so she understands what needs to be done for the group. Her efforts as a captain of Queensland have been first rate and we know how determined ‘Red’ is as an individual. We think we are in very safe hands with her.”
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