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WBBL|05 Fan’s guide: Melbourne Stars

Everything you need to get up to speed with how the Melbourne Stars are shaping up ahead of the first standalone season of the Rebel WBBL

After four seasons of the Rebel WBBL, the Stars remain the only team yet to taste finals action, a record they will be desperate to change this year.

They have bolstered their batting with the signing of the Australian-contracted Elyse Villani, who is also taking over the captaincy, and she’ll form a potent top order also featuring explosive South Africans Lizelle Lee and Mignon du Preez and crafty Kiwi Katey Martin.

Villani’s arrival will help make up for the loss of Katie Mack to the Strikers, while Emma Inglis returns to the Stars after a stint with the Renegades.

The biggest headache for the Stars is likely to come from their bowling unit, with quick Holly Ferling currently sidelined with a stress fracture and exciting young pace bowler Annabel Sutherland juggling this season with her year 12 exams.

With that in mind, expect to see plenty of spin from the likes of Kristen Beams, Erin Osborne, Angela Reakes and Alana King.

WBBL|04 result: Seventh

Current squad: Kristen Beams, Lucy Cripps, Mignon du Preez (SA), Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Emma Inglis, Alana King, Lizelle Lee (SA), Katey Martin (NZ), Erin Osborne, Angela Reakes, Annabel Sutherland, Elyse Villani (Aus)(c) 

In: Elyse Villani (Scorchers), Emma Inglis (Renegades), Lucy Cripps, Tess Flintoff, Katey Martin  

Out: Katie Mack (Strikers), Makinley Blows (Renegades), Georgia Elwiss, Elly Donald, Chloe Rafferty  

Lee stuns Sixers with whirlwind hundred

The word from Australia great and Fox Cricket commentator Mel Jones:

"They’ve got some quality players and they’re going to rely heavily on spin right throughout this WBBL. For them, they’re just going to have to get down and dirty and find ways to win. It won’t look pretty at times, but if they do that they just might find themselves knocking on the finals door." 

One to watch: Mignon du Preez. The former South African captain has shown flashes without setting the WBBL alight in her previous seasons with the Stars, but she seems to have found another gear to her T20 batting this year. She smashed a 43-ball 59 against India last month, fresh off an England Super League campaign which saw her hit 267 runs at 44.5 – and crucially, at a strike rate of 147.51 – for the Loughborough Lightning.

Image Id: 5E4929BE62DA44599E69C1DE83B2DF3A Image Caption: Mignon du Preez // Getty

The pressure is on: Elyse Villani. The explosive top-order batter has moved to the Stars after four seasons with Perth Scorchers and has immediately been handed the captaincy, taking over from Kristen Beams who has announced this season will be her last. As well as familiarising herself with a new squad, Villani also has a point to prove after being dropped from Australia’s squad for the recent series against West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Villani in fine form at the WACA

Possible starting XI: Elyse Villani (c), Lizelle Lee (SA), Mignon du Preez, Katey Martin, Angela Reakes, Emma Inglis, Erin Osborne, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Hancock, Alana King, Kristen Beams

Fixtures

Check out the full WBBL|05 fixture here

October 19 v Hurricanes, Junction Oval (2pm)

October 20 v Hurricanes, Junction Oval (2pm)

October 26 v Sixers, Hurstville Oval (2pm)

October 27 v Thunder, Bankstown Oval (2pm)

November 2 v Scorchers, WACA (3.55pm)

November 3 v Stars, WACA (11.10am)

November 10 v Strikers, Karen Rolton Oval 1.40pm)

November 13 v Heat, Junction Oval (2pm)

November 16 v Strikers, Centennial Park, Nurioopta (2pm)

November 20 v Scorchers, Junction Oval (2pm)

November 23 v Renegades, Eastern Oval, Ballarat (2pm)

November 27 v Thunder, Manuka Oval (2.30pm)

November 30 v Renegades, Junction Oval (10.40am)

December 1 v Heat, Junction Oval (3pm)

All times local

Image Id: 75B03B42F5394083A480D4A8E5C87E9A