Last Updated on 7 years by Charbel Coorey
The first week of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) has showcased how far women’s sport has come, and where it is heading.
A few years ago, if you scored at 5-6 per over, you did well. Now, the women are posting the highest ever Big Bash scores, combining both the men’s and women’s competition. To paint a picture, in WBBL edition 1, two years go, the highest score posted was 190/7 by Brisbane Heat in the eighth game. No side bettered this score in the remaining 50+ matches.
In this edition, here are some of the scores we’ve witnessed in the first week:
- 200/6 – Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades
- 189/6 – Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Thunder
- 183/3 – Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes
- 242/4 – Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars
- 188/6 – Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat
In just 10 games, there have five scores over 180, including two 200+ scores.
What about the individual performances? Jess Cameron’s magnificent 81 off 47 balls in the first game nearly enabled Melbourne Renegades to chase down 200 set by the Thunder. Ellyse Perry scored 91* off 49 in the third match for the Sydney Sixers. If Perry achieved this a year or two ago, it would easily be the highest score in the innings, and would no doubt have given her the player of the match award. Amazingly, it wasn’t even the best performance – Perry was surpassed by Ashleigh Gardner’s 114 in 52 balls. A game later, Natalie Sciver hit 84 off just 46 balls for Perth, followed by Delissa Kimmince who hit 87* of 54 balls, nearly seeing Brisbane Heat home in a chase of 189. Think that would be it? Think again! In the next game, New Zealand legend Suzie Bates scored 102* off 65 balls for Adelaide v Hobart. The next best score in that game was 43.
Record performances have also been matched by record crowd and television figures. Nearly 9,000 fans flocked the gates at North Sydney Oval to watch the four games there, and television audiences last week were 59% higher than this time last season. At the peak, an audience of 629,000 tuned in to the action.
The best part? There is still plenty of action to come, and if the first week is evidence of what is to come, we are in for an awesome ride. WBBL edition three promises to be amazing, with no limit to what these stars can achieve.
Here’s to women’s sport.
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