Sophie Devine named in WBBL tournament team

White Ferns captain Sophie Devine has been named in the Women’s Big Bash League tournament team after another scintillating season in Australia’s T20 domestic league.

The Perth Scorchers’ skipper has been selected as captain of the side after a strong WBBL campaign with 476 runs and 14 wickets, as well as leading her side to a second-place finish in the regular season.

Devine will lead her side in the Challenger final on 29 November.

This season’s top five run scorers as well as the top three wicket takers have all earned selection in the WBBL Team of the Tournament, as voted by the eight club head coaches.

WBBL|09 Golden Bat winner and the competition’s all-time leading run scorer, Beth Mooney, has earned another team of the tournament selection after a brilliant campaign.

Mooney cemented her place as the best batter in WBBL history by scoring 539 runs this season, including a 101 not out, to add to her competition total of 4647.

BKT Golden Arm winner Sophie Day has also been named in the side, after a career-best 27 wicket campaign doubled her WBBL career wickets, taking her to total of 53.

Mooney is selected to open in the Team of the Tournament, joined at the top of the order by the Strikers’ Katie Mack who scored 449 runs this campaign, including a WBBL career best 86.

Chamari Athapaththu, who scored 511 runs for the Thunder this season, bats at first drop.

The side features a power-packed middle order, with Devine joined by star all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland.

Perry led her side in both runs (496) and wickets (13) this season, while Sutherland stood out for the Stars with 288 runs and 23 wickets.

They are followed in the order by Scorchers’ all-rounder Amy Edgar, who finished the season with 20 wickets and 82 runs, Strikers’ spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington who took 20 wickets, including a 3-4 innings against the Melbourne Stars, and Scorchers’ rising star Chloe Ainsworth who ended with a 15 wickets to her name.

Sixers’ Lauren Cheatle and the season’s leading wicket taker Sophie Day lead the bowling attack.

Cheatle’s impressive 21 wicket season caught the attention of the Australian selectors, while Day was the bedrock of the Stars’ bowling attack this season, with 27 wickets including an exceptional 5-25 innings against the Sixers.

Brisbane Heat’s all-rounder Charli Knott was named 12th, with her 18-wicket campaign taking her to 137 WBBL career wickets.