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Mott backs Aussie stars after mixed Big Bash bag

With the T20 World Cup drawing ever closer, here's a look at how the Australian-contracted players fared in the WBBL|05 regular season

Australia coach Matthew Mott says he is not concerned about the form of several of his key stars during the Rebel WBBL, despite the T20 World Cup on home soil looming early next year.

Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen all produced outstanding campaigns that saw them included in the first official WBBL Team of the Tournament, however, performances were patchy for some of Australia’s other leading players.


WBBL Finals: Allan Border Field

First semi-final: Strikers v Scorchers, Saturday 10.10am (11.10am AEDT)

Second semi-final: Heat v Renegades, Saturday 1.50pm (2.50pm AEDT)

Final: SF1 v SF2, Sunday 1.40pm (2.40pm AEDT)

Tune in to the WBBL finals on the Seven Network, Fox Cricket, Kayo, the CA Live app or listen on ABC radio


But with two rounds of the 50-over Women’s National Cricket League and a T20I tri-series against England and India still to come before the start of the ICC tournament, the Australians will get plenty of valuable game time ahead of their first match against India on February 21.

Vice-captain Rachael Haynes did not hit her usual heights in her first season as captain of the Sydney Thunder, scoring 166 runs at 15.09 with a high score of 36; moved up and down the batting order as her team attempted to adjust to a new-look playing roster.

At Sydney Sixers, Ashleigh Gardner could not produce the fireworks that made her a household name in the Big Bash, scoring 275 runs at 21.15, while another Sixer in Erin Burns scored 175 runs at 19.44.

With the ball, the off-spinning pair took 11 wickets at 24.27 and eight at 21 respectively.

"It’s not a concern," Mott told cricket.com.au. "Players go through patches.

"It’s been interesting for Rachael to take on the captaincy, it gives her a lot more to think about but there’s certainly no question over her role for us in terms of T20 after what’s she’s done for us over the last couple of years.

"Her impact for us has been fantastic."

Revealed: WBBL team of the tournament

Overall there has been plenty for Mott to like about the way his Australian stars performed in WBBL|05, none more so than Brisbane Heat pair Mooney and Jonassen.

Mooney has enjoyed her best season yet with the bat, scoring eight fifties in a remarkably consistent campaign, while Jonassen has reached new heights with both bat and ball.

"There have been some really good performances across the board," Mott said.

"Jess Jonassen, I’ve watched a lot of her games live and she’s bowled the house down.

"Beth Mooney has been on fire and a big reason why the Heat are up there at the top of the table."

Magnificant Mooney steers Heat to home final

Fellow Heat star Delissa Kimmince finished third on the wickets tally, while after a scratchy start, national captain Lanning rocketed up the run-scoring charts for the Perth Scorchers, hitting her first Big Bash hundred last Sunday.

Star wicketkeeper-bat Alyssa Healy, who has been in the batting form of her life across the last two years, scored her runs at the incredible strike rate of 155, but probably did not go on to post large scores as often as she would have liked, passing fifty twice in 14 innings.

Schutt bowled at an economy rate of 5.67 – the best in the league – while Australia-contracted batter Elyse Villani, who missed selection for recent series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, found form after a slow start to the season, finishing with 344 runs at 24.57 including three half-centuries.

Mott was commentating for ABC Grandstand at Drummoyne Oval on November 17 when Sixers captain Perry injured her right shoulder during a fielding mishap.

Healy hammers hundred at the WACA

Given the allrounder only narrowly missed out on being passed as fit for last weekend’s matches – which saw her team knocked out of finals contention – he is not concerned about the long-term outlook.

"The injury to Pez was disappointing but in the big scheme of things it won’t hurt her," Mott said.

"There’s a lot of cricket ahead so missing a couple of games is fine."

Perry stayed on the field after the injury, pushing through obvious pain as her team ultimately suffered a final-ball defeat.

"We’ve spoken about (that)," Mott said. "On one hand you’ve got to commend her for being gutsy and staying out there, but hopefully next time she gets out of the firing line and gets some treatment on it as soon as possible."

How the Aussie-contracted players performed in WBBL|05

Batters

Alyssa Healy Sydney Sixers

M: 14 | Runs: 383 | Ave: 29.46 | SR: 155.69 | HS: 106* | 100s: 1 | 50s: 1 | Ct: 6 | St: 4

Beth Mooney Brisbane Heat

M: 14 | Runs: 672 | Ave: 74.66 | SR: 126.5 | HS: 86 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 8 | Ct: 6 | St: 2

Meg Lanning Perth Scorchers

M: 14 | Runs: 530 | Ave: 44.16 | SR: 119.36 | HS: 101 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 4

Mighty Meg mauls Hurricanes for maiden WBBL ton

Rachael Haynes Sydney Thunder

M: 12 | Runs: 166 | Ave: 15.09 | SR: 85.56 | HS: 36 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 0

Elyse Villani Melbourne Stars

M: 14 | Runs: 344 | Ave: 24.57 | SR: 103.92 | HS: 59 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 3

Nicole Bolton Perth Scorchers

M: 13 | Runs: 168 | Ave: 18.66 | SR: 92.81 | HS: 44 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 0

Allrounders

Ellyse Perry Sydney Sixers

M: 9 | Runs: 469 | Ave: 93.80 | SR: 112.47 | HS: 87* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 4

Wkts: 4 | Ave: 36.25 | Econ: 5.8 | BBI: 2-13 | SR: 37.5 | 4wi: 0

Jess Jonassen Brisbane Heat

M: 14 | Runs: 348 | Ave: 38.66 | SR: 131.81 | HS: 88 |100s: 0 | 50s: 2

Wkts: 19 | Ave: 18.31 | Econ: 6.82 | BBI: 4-13 | SR: 16.1 | 4wi: 3

Jonassen produces fireworks at Junction

Nicola Carey Hobart Hurricanes

M: 13 | Runs: 267 | Ave: 24.27 | SR: 96.04 | HS: 60* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 2

Wkts: 13 | Ave: 28.76 | Econ: 7.6 | BBI: 2-25 | SR: 22.6 | 4wi: 0

Ashleigh Gardner Sydney Sixers

M: 14 | Runs: 275 | Ave: 21.15 | SR: 115.54 | HS: 54 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 1

Wkts: 11 | Ave: 24.27 | Econ: 7.41 | BBI: 2-23 | SR: 19.6 | 4wi: 0

Erin Burns Sydney Sixers

M: 14 | Runs: 175 | Ave: 19.44 | SR: 103.55 | HS: 60* | 100s: 0 | 50s: 1

Wkts: 8 | Ave: 21 | Econ: 8.0 | BBI: 3-5 | SR: 24.7 | 4wi: 0

Burns blazes her way to 60 against the Scorchers

Sophie Molineux Melbourne Renegades

M: 10 | Runs: 101 | Ave: 10.1 | SR: 96.19 | HS: 24 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 0

Wkts: 8 | Ave: 28.37 | Econ: 6.87 | BBI: 3.28 | SR: 24.7 | 4wi: 0

Bowlers

Megan Schutt Adelaide Strikers

M: 14 | Wkts: 13 | Ave: 24 | Econ: 5.67 | BBI: 2-12 | SR: 25.3 | 4wi: 0

Delissa Kimmince Brisbane Heat

M: 14 | Wkts: 17 | Ave: 20.58 | Econ: 7.42 | BBI: 3-27 | SR: 16.6 | 4wi: 0

Dream start for Heat as Healy and Perry depart

Tayla Vlaeminck Hobart Hurricanes

M: 14 | Wkts: 10 | Ave: 32.8 | Econ: 6.6 | BBI: 2-18 | SR: 29.8 | 4wi: 0

Georgia Wareham Melbourne Renegades

M: 14 | Wkts: 7 | Ave: 49.14 | Econ: 8.32 | BBI: 2-13 | SR: 35.4 | 4wi: 0