#KiwiWBBL05: More Suzie and Soph

The final weekend of Women's Big Bash League 05 will see Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates hunting for the top spot, ahead of the kiwi youngsters Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr. Both on 18 points, Brisbane Heat currently sit 1st with Adelaide Strikers in 2nd , yet the Heat will only play one game this weekend and the Strikers are in line for back to back games. Given how Devine is truckin' along for Adelaide, there's a fair chance she drags her Strikers to pass the Heat and take us into semi-finals.

Both the Strikers games are against Sydney Sixers who are hunting a semi-final spot themselves, sitting in 4th. Unfortunately, Devine broke her streak of 50+ scores last weekend and even that came with a lovely twist as she immediately got back to cruising past 50, while also watching Bates step up when Devine couldn't go large.

Having hit five 50+ scores in a row, Devine only managed 31 @ 88.57 last Saturday in a win over Hobart Hurricanes. Bates hit 64 @ 118.51sr to lead the way for Adelaide and Devine was still the second highest run-scorer for the Strikers in that innings, then Devine came out on Sunday and cracked 88 @ 157.14sr vs Sydney Thunder. Devine then did her job in a super over with the willow to ensure another victory for Adelaide and take the Strikers to within a few net run-rate numbers short of the Heat.

Adelaide cemented their place in the WBBL semi-finals with a narrow two-run win over the Hurricanes in Hobart

Devine is 2nd in total runs, with 593 runs @ 74.12avg/130.05sr and seven 50+ scores. Brisbane's Beth Mooney is 1st, having played an extra game which means Devine's got a superior average as well as a better strike-rate. Devine has smacked 22 sixes and no other WBBL05 player has more than 15 sixes, while only five players have hit 10+ sixes.

In dealing with Devine, you've got to worry about bat and ball because Devine's rather handy with both. Up until Sunday's game vs Thunder, Devine had taken 1+ wickets in five straight game; five games scoring 50+ in a row, five games taking 1+ wickets in a row. Despite not taking a wicket vs Thunder, Devine still sits 6th in total wickets with 15w @ 18.06avg/6.30rpo and Devine's not even the best bowler as for Adelaide as she's behind Amanda-Jane Wellington who is 3rd with 16w @ 15.87avg/6.65rpo.

Simply put: Devine averages under 20 with the ball and well over 50 with the bat.

This week on The Blast, Megan Barnard sits down for some smashed avo with the 'Smash Sisters' Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine to talk all things WBBL and the Adelaide Strikers.

Compared to Devine, Bates has been chillin'. When Bates is required to though, she steps up nicely as both of her 50+ scores have come when Devine didn't score 50+ and both those games finished as wins for Adelaide. Bates has racked up her own little streak, scoring double-digits in eight consecutive innings which with Devine blasting off from the other end and Bates scoring at 102.42sr, is good enough for the Strikers.

Overall, Bates averages 26.90 with 296 runs which puts her 14th in total runs.

Brisbane Heat are still relying heavily on others to do much of the run-scoring and wicket-taking, but the young kiwi duo of Green and Kerr have been steadily chiming in. The Heat have three bowlers in the top-five, all three have 16+ wickets and nifty averages, while Kerr is back in 18th with 10w @ 30.10av/6.35rpo.

Kerr has now taken 1+ wickets in three consecutive games, which is low key impressive considering prior to that she had taken 1w in four consecutive games. Not only has Kerr settled into a consistent patch with the ball, she has also chipped in with runs with scores of 9*, 21 and 8* in this recent three-game stretch. This gets amplified as Kerr has scored her 104 runs with a strike-rate of 128.39 and that's Kerr doing her job nicely.

Green has also settled into some form, after moving to the opening role for Brisbane. Green has scores of 32, 24 and 20 in her last 3inns and Green is now the third-best batswoman for the Heat, with 247 runs @ 20.58avg and a healthy strike-rate of 107.39. The Heat have Mooney leading all run-scorers and Jess Jonassen who is 10th in runs, both have 300+ runs with averages well over 30 which allows Green to go about her work without much pressure; Brisbane's a great place for two kiwis in their first WBBL campaign.

Here's what the others have been up to...

Rachel Priest (Sydney Thunder): 12inns, 277 runs @ 23.08avg/126.48sr.

Katey Martin (Melbourne Stars): 9inns, 74 runs @ 10.57avg/104.22sr.

Lea Tahuhu (Melbourne Renegades): 12inns, 46 overs, 9w @ 30.66avg/6rpo.

Hit an ad to support the Niche Cache, or jump on Patreon and join the whanau. Chur.

Peace and love 27.