Franchise Cricket

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David Warner has been named Sydney Thunder captain following the lifting of his leadership ban by Cricket Australia.

Warner, 37, was banned from cricket for 12 months and prevented from holding leadership positions as part of his punishment for the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 but that ban was overturned last month.

He will now lead the Thunder, who he also captained in 2011, in this year's Big Bash.

"Captaining the Thunder again this season means a lot to me," Warner said.

"I was part of the team from the start, and now to be back with that ‘C’ next to my name feels fantastic."

Trent Copeland, Thunder's general manager, said the appointment is "huge" for the club.

"Appointing David Warner as captain isn’t just about winning, it’s about setting up our young players for success, surrounding them with leadership on and off the field," he said.

The 2024 Big Bash begins on 15 December.

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Australia duo Alana King and Beth Mooney starred as Perth Scorchers beat Brisbane Heat by 28 runs in the Women's Big Bash.

Captain Mooney made 77 off 52 balls, including nine fours, before being dismissed from the final ball as Scorchers posted 142-8.

There were five single-figure scores in the Scorchers innings, after New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine made 25 at the top of the order. England wicketkeeper Amy Jones made 10 off 11 balls.

Scorchers made regular breakthroughs with the ball, including three in the powerplay as Georgia Redmayne was dismissed without scoring and India's Jemimah Rodrigues made 13.

King then finished the innings off, claiming 5-16 in her four overs, as Heat were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.

The win is Scorchers' second in three matches, while Heat have now lost two of their opening four games.

Both are next in action on Thursday with Heat visiting Sydney Thunder (06:05 GMT) and Scorchers entertaining Melbourne Renegades (09:35 GMT).

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Commentaries on the Women's Big Bash League will continue this week across BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website and app.

Ball-by-ball updates will be provided by ABC Grandstand in Australia.

Here's the schedule for 4-10 November:

Tuesday, 5 November: Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat (09:00 GMT)

Wednesday, 6 November: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers (07:00 GMT)

Thursday, 7 November: Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat (05:50 GMT), Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades (09:20 GMT) & Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers (23:45 GMT)

Saturday, 9 November: Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars (03:45 GMT), Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers (07:30 GMT) & Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers (23:00 GMT)

All times are broadcast start times, and subject to change. All commentaries are available to UK users only.

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England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge hit 62 runs off just 35 balls as Hobart Hurricanes chased down 174 to end Brisbane Heat's undefeated start to the Women's Big Bash League.

The Hurricanes put down four catches in the field as Australia opener Grace Harris plundered 75 to guide Brisbane to 173-5 from their 20 overs - Jemimah Rodrigues also contributing with 45.

It looked a competitive score at the Melbourne Junction Oval but Wyatt-Hodge, 33, had other ideas.

Opening alongside wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee, who hit five fours and a six in her knock of 38 from 25, Wyatt-Hodge took control.

She hit six fours and three sixes to keep the Hurricanes ahead of the target, finally departing to spinner Grace Parsons.

Hobart needed 33 from the final three overs and got the win when Elyse Villani reverse swept to the boundary.

Wyatt-Hodge told Fox Cricket: "I just kept it simple, if the ball was in my areas then I went for it.

"We knew we could chase the target if we put our minds to it and got our heads down."

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Georgia Voll smashed 92 from just 55 balls as Sydney Thunder beat Adelaide Strikers by 64 runs in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).

It was Voll's highest-ever score and Thunder's biggest win in terms of runs in the competition's 10-year history.

Her sparkling innings included 12 fours and three sixes in just her third WBBL match for Thunder since moving from Brisbane Heat.

Captain Phoebe Litchfield hit 49 from 31 deliveries and England skipper Heather Knight added 28 from 15 as Thunder posted 212-5, their highest-ever WBBL total and the joint-third highest by any team.

Spinner Sam Bates then took a career-best 4-21 and Shabnim Ismail 3-18 as two-time defending champions Strikers were skittled out 148.

The win moves Thunder top of the early WBBL table, with Strikers down in seventh after losing two of their opening three games.

In the day's other match, Melbourne Stars beat Sydney Sixers by 32 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-affected tie.

Meg Lanning and Rhys McKenna both hit half-centuries for the Stars.

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England captain Heather Knight returned from a calf injury in Sydney Thunder's 33-run victory over Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League.

Knight ruptured a tendon while batting in England’s T20 World Cup defeat by West Indies and retired hurt, but insisted the injury "would not keep her out for long".

The 33-year-old missed Thunder’s opening-game defeat by Hurricanes, but returned to be named Player of the Match in Thursday's win after making 48 from 28 balls.

Knight and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu shared 35 for the third wicket as Thunder posted 146-5 from their 17 overs after a delayed start. Right-arm fast bowler Heather Graham was the pick of the Hurricanes bowlers, taking 2-18.

Hurricanes' chase started with Knight’s England team-mate Danni Wyatt-Hodge being dismissed for just seven by Athapaththu, closely followed by Nicola Casey for five.

Elyse Villani and Heather Graham built a partnership of 43, but both were dismissed within the space of four balls. Hurricanes' lower order failed to add any substantial runs as they finished on 113-8.

Hannah Darlington was Thunder’s top wicket-taker with 3-24.

"The body never feels good at 33, but it was nice to be back out there. I’m really pleased with how it went and it is great to start tournaments with wins," said Knight.

Thunder play their next game on Friday against Adelaide Strikers at the Sydney Oval. Knight will next captain England during their tour of South Africa, which begins on 24 November.

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England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been traded to reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the 2025 edition of the Women's Premier League.

Having gone unsold for the inaugural season in 2023, Wyatt-Hodge was signed by UP Warriorz for the competition's second season earlier this year but did not play.

The 33-year-old will move to RCB for 30 lakh rupees (£27,400).

Wyatt-Hodge has played 164 T20s for England and was their leading run-scorer in the recent T20 World Cup, where England made a disappointing group-stage exit.

The WPL franchises can have a maximum of six overseas players in their squads, with four allowed to play in an XI.

Last season RCB's overseas players were New Zealand World Cup-winning captain Sophie Devine, superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry plus her Australia team-mates Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham, England bowler Kate Cross and South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk.

The dates of the 2025 WPL, expected to take place in the spring, are yet to be announced.

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Nicola Carey's half-century set Hobart Hurricanes on their way to a 31-run win over Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League.

The Australia left-hander made 52 from 38 balls as Hurricanes posted 141-7 after being put in to bat.

England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge made a run-a-ball 18 before being dismissed by compatriot Georgia Adams, while left-arm spinner Samantha Bates took 3-20 for Thunder.

The visitors overcame a poor start to their chase thanks to Phoebe Litchfield's 51 from 37 balls but collapsed again after she departed and were bowled out for 110.

All-rounder Heather Graham was the pick of the Hurricanes bowlers, taking 3-19.

After Chamari Athapaththu was lbw to Molly Strano from the first ball of the Thunder chase, they slumped to 38-4 when Adams was bowled by Chloe Tryon in the seventh over.

Litchfield kept them in contention as she put on 52 for the fifth wicket with Anika Learoyd but the pair fell in quick succession and Hobart quickly ran through the lower order to go top of the WBBL after the opening round of fixtures.

"It was an interesting game, we got off to a good start with the bat but then fell away a bit in the middle," Graham said.

"But we were able to come out and take a wicket first ball, which is always an amazing feeling, then we were able to peg everyone else back apart from Litch.

"It was a key wicket to get. It was a really good team effort tonight, everyone chipped in."

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Commentaries on the Women's Big Bash League will continue this week across BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website and app.

Ball-by-ball updates will be provided by ABC Grandstand in Australia.

Here's the schedule for 28 October-3 November:

Monday, 28 October: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder (07:00 GMT)

Tuesday, 29 October: Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers (07:00 GMT)

Wednesday, 30 October: Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Renegades (08:00 GMT)

Thursday, 31 October: Sydney Thunder v Hobart Hurricanes (08:00 GMT)

Friday, 1 November: Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Thunder (04:30 GMT) & Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars (08:00 GMT)

Saturday, 2 November: Brisbane Heat v Hobart Hurricanes (00:15 GMT), Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers (03:45 GMT) & Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes (23:00 GMT)

Sunday, 3 November: Melbourne Renegades v Adelaide Strikers (02:30 GMT)

All times are broadcast start times, and subject to change. All commentaries are available to UK users only.

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Caoimhe Bray, 15, became the youngest player to feature in the Women's Big Bash League as she played a key role in Sydney Sixers' win over Melbourne Renegades.

Bray, who turned 15 in September, bowled West Indies star Deandra Dottin for her first WBBL wicket and then hit the winning runs in an unbeaten cameo of 12 from five balls.

Sixers successfully chased 179 to beat Renegades with Ellyse Perry striking 81 from 38 balls, and the legendary all-rounder described Bray as "very special".

"I haven't seen a 15-year-old hit a four over cover like that to win a game before, so that's a first," Perry said after the match.

"She's very special, a legend, and we're very lucky to have her on our team."

Bray takes the title of the WBBL's youngest player from batter Phoebe Litchfield, now a regular for Australia, who made her debut for Sydney Thunder at 16 in 2019 and hit a half-century in just her second match.

The teenager described Perry as her idol and said it was a "dream come true" to play alongside her.

"If you ask all my primary school friends, every school project was about her," Bray said.

"She gave me the cap before the game and I was crying a little bit. It was really exciting - a memory I won't forget."

Bray has also represented Australia in football, playing as a goalkeeper at age-group level - a feat which Perry also achieved, representing her country 18 times.

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Ellyse Perry starred on the opening day of the Women's Big Bash League as Sydney Sixers beat Melbourne Renegades by three wickets.

Perry struck 81 from just 38 balls, including 11 fours and three sixes, as Sixers reached their target of 179 with an over to spare.

The all-rounder was supported by England's Hollie Armitage with 30 from 23 balls at the top of the order while Scotland's Sarah Bryce added an unbeaten 36 from 25.

Perry also took 2-25 as Renegades posted 178-8 with fellow Australian Georgia Wareham top-scoring with 61 from 31 balls. England spinner Sophie Ecclestone chipped in with 2-35.

Elsewhere, defending champions Adelaide Strikers suffered a four-wicket defeat by Brisbane Heat.

The Strikers were restricted to 133-5 from their 20 overs as captain Tahlia McGrath made 51 not out from 41 balls, before Charli Knott's unbeaten 44 from 30 steered Heat over the line with two overs remaining.

Finally, Melbourne Stars slumped to a disappointing defeat as they were bundled out for 109 in 19.2 overs in pursuit of 123 against Perth Scorchers.

Ines McKeon's 50 from 43 balls on her WBBL debut was in vain as Kim Garth's 10 was the Stars' next-highest score. Leg-spinner Alana King taking 3-20 for the Scorchers.

England's Amy Jones earlier made 30 and Australian opener Beth Mooney scored 31 in the Scorchers' 122-8.