WBBL 2024/25, final match preview BH-W vs MR-W

Big picture: History is on the line for Renegades and Heat

 

Obviously, the stakes are high as the 10th edition of the WBBL culminates on Sunday at the MCG.

 

Both teams have history at stake, but for very different reasons. The Melbourne Renegades have struggled for most of the tournament’s history. Aside from fellow laggards Hobart Hurricanes, the Renegades have been the only team to never reach the finals, finishing with the wooden spoon last season.

 

But this year they have been the competition’s success story after producing a remarkable turnaround to finish top of the table and secure a home final. Their off-season recruiting spree has paid off, while captain Sophie Molineux has led from the front with her stellar season rewarded after being named captain of the tournament’s BBL team.

 

After jumping to the finals, the Renegades have been in the middle of a long layoff without playing since Nov. 23. They are dizzyingly eyeing a first WBBL title but will face a confident Brisbane Heat team who prepared for the final with a nine-wicket game. beat the Sydney Thunder at Allan Border Field on Friday.

 

The Heat have also been in good form late in the season as they look to make amends for last season’s heartbreak by falling short against Adelaide Strikers in a thrilling final.

 

A competitive powerhouse, having qualified for seven consecutive finals series, the Heat aim to become the first team to win three titles after consecutive triumphs in the 04-05 WBBL.

 

Led by captain Jess Jonassen, the Heat have brilliantly overcome the off-season departures of several key players along with a coaching overhaul to reach a fourth final in the last seven seasons.

 

With compelling storylines and a competition between two red-hot teams, this mouth-watering finale is shaping up to be a fitting way to end a shortened WBBL season that broke several attendance and streaming records. It will also be the first standalone WBBL final to be played at the iconic MCG.

 

forms guide

 

(Last five matches completed; most recent first)

 

Melbourne Renegades WWWW

 

Brisbane heat WWWW

 

In the spotlight: Deandra Dottin, Grace Harris

 

Some eyebrows were raised when Renegades selected Deandra Dottin with the third pick in this season’s draft. At that point he hadn’t played a professional game for almost a year, but Dottin fit into the Renegades’ plans to be more aggressive and unleash a conservative approach that had long weighed them down. Given her ultra-offensive ways, she hasn’t always been successful, but Dottin’s assertiveness has rubbed off on her teammates. His strike rate of 151 is the sixth highest in the competition, while he has also taken nine wickets with his pace bowling.

 

Presented in all 10 seasons, Grace Harris He has been one of the best players in the first decade of the WBBL. Even after all these years, she is still the Heat’s ultimate winner if she manages to advance to the top of the order. Harris has scored the most runs for the Heat this season, although his strike rate of 134.46 is well below his astonishing T20I mark of 153.86. Harris started the season spectacularly, but recently went crazy with three single-digit runs in his last four innings. But Harris will enjoy the big stage and will be highly motivated having been overlooked by Australia’s ODI team against India.

 

Team News: Rodrigues Injury Concerns

 

There are fears over the fitness of Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues, who had to retire injured in the Challenger final after the 10th over of the Heat’s chase. He aggravated a left wrist injury he suffered earlier on the field while trying to save a boundary in the Thunder’s innings. But Heat coach Mark Sorell said the team’s medical staff’s initial evaluation was “pretty positive.” If she can’t recover in time, it could open the door for the talented 19-year-old Sianna Ginger, who has played six WBBL games this season. But she has previously batted at No. 8, so a shakeup of the batting order would be necessary if Rodrigues is ruled out.

 

Brisbane heat (probable): Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues/Sianna Ginger, Charli Knott, Jess Jonassen (c), Laura Harris, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Lucy Hamilton, Shikha Pandey, Nicola Hancock, Grace Parsons

 

The Renegades are well-rested and are likely to field an unchanged XI from their previous match against the Thunder.

 

Melbourne Renegades (probable): Courtney Webb, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux (c), Deandra Dottin, Georgia Wareham, Naomi Stalenberg, Nicole Faltum (wk), Grace Scrivens, Georgia Prestwidge, Sarah Coyte, Milly Illingworth

 

Field and conditions

 

There has been heavy rain in the run-up and more rain is forecast for Sunday in Melbourne, a city known for its fickle weather. Conditions could be favorable for bowling and the large boundaries of the field could ensure a low-scoring final.

 

Statistics and curiosities

 

 

  • The Heat have won 11 of 18 total games against the Renegades, including a 28-run victory at Allan Border Field on October 30.
  • The Renegades won their only match at the MCG this season after beating rivals Stars by nine runs on November 15.
  • Renegade batsmen Molineux, Dottin and Rhys McKenna are ranked in the top six for highest strike rate this season.

 

 

Quotes

 

“We’ve been a pretty successful team for a long period of time. We’ve reached the Big Bash and WNCL finals, so it’s not an unknown challenge for us.” Heat goalkeeper and hitter Georgia Redmayne

 

Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth.

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