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With women's cricket on the rise and the success of the BBL in the years prior proving a domestic T20 competition could be a popular enterprise, the Women's Big Bash League was officially established in 2015.

Featuring the identical, city-based teams from the BBL which had been running for four seasons, the competition boasted some of the most prominent names in women's cricket both domestically and abroad.

Between established Australian greats Alex Blackwell, Shelley Nitschke and Lisa Sthalaker and international powerhouses in Heather Knight and Sophie Devine, the debut WBBL season would introduce names that would go on to become cricket greats, World Cup heroes and more; youngsters Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning among them.

The 56-game campaign prior to finals had the Thunder sitting pretty on top of the table, with the Sixers ousting the Hurricanes in the second semi-final to tee up a Sydney Derby for the competition's inaugural decider at the MCG.

Despite the Sixers boasting a future finals record that would become the envy of the competition in future seasons, it was the Thunder who claimed the historic first championship with just three balls to spare against their cross-town rivals; young gun Lauren Cheatle scampering through for a match-winning bye - and avoiding a narrow run-out in the process - to make history for the women in lime green.