2021–22 Women's Big Bash League season

The 2021–22 Women's Big Bash League season or WBBL|07 was the seventh season of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), the semi-professional women's Twenty20 domestic cricket competition in Australia. The tournament was played from 14 October to 27 November 2021. The Sydney Thunder entered the season as the defending champions, having won their second title in WBBL06, but failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

In the championship decider, played at Perth Stadium, the Perth Scorchers defeated the Adelaide Strikers by 12 runs. Marizanne Kapp was named Player of the Final for her influential all-round performance, scoring 31* off 23 deliveries and producing bowling figures of 1/25 from four overs to help the Scorchers claim their maiden WBBL title.

Indian marquee Harmanpreet Kaur was named Player of the Tournament in her first season with the Melbourne Renegades, marking the first time the award was not won by a player from Australia or New Zealand.

Teams

Each squad was made up of 15 active players. Teams could sign up to five 'marquee players', with a maximum of three of those from overseas. Marquees were defined as any overseas player, or a local player who holds a Cricket Australia national contract at the start of the WBBL|07 signing period.

Due to state border restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia announced there would be no WBBL|07 matches played in New South Wales and Victoria. Consequently, half of the league's teams (the Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder) were unable to host home games for the season. Due to renovation works on their regular primary ground at Allan Border Field, the Brisbane Heat played home games in Mackay for the season.

The table below lists each team's marquee players and other key details for the season.

TeamHome groundSecondary groundsCoachCaptain Australian representativesOverseas playersAdelaide StrikersKaren Rolton Oval (4)Adelaide Oval (4)Luke WilliamsTahlia McGrathDarcie BrownTahlia McGrathMegan SchuttSarah CoyteAmanda-Jade Wellington Dane van Niekerk Laura WolvaardtBrisbane HeatHarrup Park (4) –Ashley NoffkeJess JonassenJess JonassenGrace Harris Anneke Bosch Nadine de Klerk Poonam YadavHobart HurricanesBlundstone Arena (3)UTAS Stadium (4)Invermay Park (1)Salliann BeamsRachel PriestNicola CareyTayla VlaeminckNaomi StalenbergMolly StranoBelinda Vakarewa Mignon du Preez Richa Ghosh Rachel PriestMelbourne Renegades – –Simon HelmotSophie MolineuxSophie MolineuxGeorgia WarehamJess DuffinHolly Ferling Evelyn Jones Harmanpreet Kaur Jemimah RodriguesMelbourne Stars – –Jarrad LoughmanMeg LanningMeg LanningAnnabel SutherlandErin OsborneElyse Villani Maia Bouchier Kim Garth Linsey SmithPerth ScorchersWACA Ground (3)Lilac Hill Park (2)Perth Stadium (1)Shelley NitschkeSophie DevineBeth MooneyHeather GrahamChamari Athapaththu Sophie Devine Marizanne KappSydney Sixers––Ben SawyerEllyse PerryAshleigh GardnerAlyssa HealyEllyse PerryNicole BoltonErin BurnsStella CampbellLauren Cheatle Shafali Verma Radha YadavSydney Thunder––Trevor GriffinRachael HaynesRachael HaynesHannah Darlington Smriti Mandhana Deepti Sharma Issy Wong

Personnel changes

Local players The table below lists local player movements made ahead of the season.

PlayerDeparted→JoinedNotesRef(s)Alana KingMelbourne Stars→Perth ScorchersMolly StranoMelbourne Renegades→Hobart HurricanesNicole BoltonPerth Scorchers→Sydney SixersHolly FerlingMelbourne Stars→Melbourne RenegadesThird WBBL team (previously played for the Brisbane Heat)Corinne HallHobart Hurricanes→Sydney ThunderOutgoing captain (7–27 win–loss record)Maitlan BrownMelbourne Renegades→Sydney SixersRachel TrenamanSydney Thunder→Hobart HurricanesUnavailable for the season due to injurySarah AleySydney Sixers→–RetiredDelissa KimminceBrisbane Heat→–RetiredEmma KingPerth Scorchers→–RetiredEllie FalconerAdelaide Strikers→Melbourne RenegadesRhiann O'Donnell–→Melbourne Renegades Returning to the Melbourne Renegades Previously played for the Hobart HurricanesJemma BarsbyPerth Scorchers→Adelaide StrikersThird WBBL team (previously played for the Brisbane Heat)Nell Bryson-SmithHobart Hurricanes→Adelaide StrikersReplacement player in WBBL|06Brooke HepburnHobart Hurricanes→–RetiredMaddy DarkeSydney Sixers→Melbourne StarsLisa GriffithSydney Sixers→Perth ScorchersThird WBBL team (previously played for the Sydney Thunder)Lilly MillsBrisbane Heat→Perth ScorchersAshley Day–→Perth ScorchersPreviously played for the Hobart Hurricanes

Overseas players On 26 September 2021, the Sydney Thunder announced the signings of overseas marquees Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, meaning WBBL|07 would feature Indian players in the league for the first time since the 2018–19 season.

The table below lists changes to overseas player allocations made ahead of the season.

PlayerDeparted→JoinedNotesRef(s) Marizanne KappSydney Sixers→Perth Scorchers Chamari Athapaththu–→Perth ScorchersPreviously played for the Melbourne Renegades Dane van NiekerkSydney Sixers→Adelaide StrikersThird WBBL team (previously played for the Melbourne Renegades) Kim Garth–→Melbourne StarsPreviously played for the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers Anneke Bosch–→Brisbane Heat Mignon du PreezMelbourne Stars→Hobart Hurricanes Amelia KerrBrisbane Heat→– Maia Bouchier–→Melbourne Stars Evelyn Jones–→Melbourne Renegades Lizelle LeeMelbourne Renegades→–Signed with the Hobart Hurricanes but withdrew from the tournament Smriti Mandhana–→Sydney ThunderThird WBBL team (previously played for the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes) Deepti Sharma–→Sydney Thunder Heather KnightSydney Thunder→– Tammy BeaumontSydney Thunder→– Shafali Verma–→Sydney Sixers Radha Yadav–→Sydney Sixers Shabnim IsmailSydney Thunder→–Withdrew due to knee injury Jemimah Rodrigues–→Melbourne Renegades Harmanpreet Kaur–→Melbourne RenegadesPreviously played for the Sydney Thunder Amy SatterthwaiteMelbourne Renegades→–Outgoing captain (17–23 win–loss record) Lea TahuhuMelbourne Renegades→– Suzie BatesAdelaide Strikers→–Outgoing captain (24–21 win–loss record) Richa Ghosh–→Hobart Hurricanes Hayley MatthewsHobart Hurricanes→– Chloe TryonHobart Hurricanes→– Issy Wong–→Sydney Thunder Katherine BruntMelbourne Stars→– Sarah GlennPerth Scorchers→– Amy JonesPerth Scorchers→– Nat SciverMelbourne Stars→– Linsey Smith–→Melbourne Stars Stafanie TaylorAdelaide Strikers→– Poonam Yadav–→Brisbane Heat Maddy GreenBrisbane Heat→–

Leadership Coaching changes made ahead of the season included:

Simon Helmot was appointed head coach of the Melbourne Renegades, replacing Lachlan Stevens. Jarrad Loughman was appointed head coach of the Melbourne Stars, replacing Trent Woodhill. On 2 July 2021, the Sydney Sixers announced two-time championship coach Ben Sawyer would not return for WBBL|07, having instead taken on a full-time assistant role for the Australian national women's team. However, on 27 July, it was revealed Cricket Australia agreed to allow Sawyer to coach the Sixers for a seventh and final season.

Captaincy changes made ahead of the season included:

Sophie Molineux was appointed captain of the Melbourne Renegades, replacing Amy Satterthwaite (17–23 win–loss record). Rachel Priest was appointed captain of the Hobart Hurricanes, replacing Corinne Hall (7–27 win–loss record). After Sydney Thunder captain Rachael Haynes announced she would be unlikely to participate in the season due to family reasons, Hannah Darlington was appointed to stand in as Haynes' replacement. Tahlia McGrath was appointed captain of the Adelaide Strikers, replacing Suzie Bates (24–21 win–loss record).

Media coverage Coverage of the league received a boost from the previous season with subscription channel Fox Cricket broadcasting an additional 23 matches, marking the first time every match would be televised. Seven Network would again broadcast 24 matches on free-to-air television, while the remaining 35 matches were free to stream live on cricket.com.au and the Cricket Australia Live app. All 59 matches were also available to watch live and on-demand via Kayo Sports.

Points table

Win–loss table Below is a summary of results for each team's fourteen regular season matches, plus finals where applicable, in chronological order. A team's opponent for any given match is listed above the margin of victory/defeat.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 4th() XX3rd() XXX6th →X2nd() XXX5th →→1st() XXX8th XXX7th Team's results→ Won Tied Lost

Fixtures As per all previous seasons, WBBL|07 featured a 56-match double round-robin, followed by a finals series featuring the top four qualifiers. The original fixture was released on 8 July 2021, with Cricket Australia (CA) noting the schedule was subject to any changes that may be required in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 16 September, CA announced the opening fortnight of the competition would be shifted to Tasmania. 20 games featuring all eight teams were scheduled to be played at three venues, beginning with Blundstone Arena in Hobart before moving to University of Tasmania Stadium and its neighbouring Invermay Park in Launceston. On 7 October, CA revealed the revised schedule for the remaining 36 regular season games, which consisted of blocks of matches in Perth, Launceston, Adelaide and Mackay.

On 8 November, CA confirmed the last week of the regular season (November 17–21) would be the inaugural WBBL First Nations Round, intending to mark the league's commitment to deepening education and meaningful connection with Indigenous People of Australia. During the round, teams wore Indigenous kits designed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders artists, and observed Welcome to Country and smoking ceremonies.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Knockout phase On 7 September 2021, Cricket Australia announced the WBBL would use a new playoffs format for the 2021–22 season.

The WBBL|07 knockout phase would again feature the four highest-ranked teams at the conclusion of the regular season, though it would begin with an 'Eliminator' between the third and fourth seeds. The winner of the Eliminator would then play the second seed in the 'Challenger'. Both the Eliminator and Challenger matches would be played at the home ground of the second seed. The first seed would automatically qualify for the championship decider, simply known as the 'Final', with home ground advantage against the winner of the Challenger.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said "the League views the Final as a marquee moment in the summer" and the highest-ranked qualifier will not only "have a guaranteed path to the Final, they'll also have the backing of a strong home crowd, with fans given more time to secure their ticket to the Final".

Perth Stadium was selected as the venue for the Final after the Perth Scorchers finished the regular season on top of the points table. The second-placed Melbourne Renegades selected Adelaide Oval as the venue for the Eliminator and Challenger due to border restrictions preventing matches from being played in their home state of Victoria.

Eliminator

Challenger

Final

Background

Ending the regular season on top of the points table, the Perth Scorchers qualified for their third championship decider. They previously finished as runners-up in WBBL02 and WBBL03, losing to the Sydney Sixers on both occasions. Coach Shelley Nitschke, considered a legend of South Australian cricket, and captain Sophie Devine each played for the Adelaide Strikers in the league's inaugural and subsequent seasons before joining the Scorchers in WBBL|06.