Melbourne Renegades Celebrate Historic Victory with First WBBL Championship
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Melbourne, Dec 1 (NationPress) The Melbourne Renegades have clinched their first-ever Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) title after narrowly defeating Brisbane Heat by seven runs using the DLS method in a rain-affected final held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. This victory completed the Renegades' remarkable journey from the bottom of the standings to championship glory.
Star player Hayley Matthews scored an impressive 69 runs off 61 balls, helping the Renegades set a target of 141/9 after batting first. She was supported by Georgia Wareham (21) and Naomi Stalenberg (16), before rain disrupted the match, reducing the Heat’s required score to 98 runs in 12 overs.
After achieving the highest individual score in a WBBL final, Hayley also took two wickets in a crucial over, leaving the Heat reeling at 37/5 during their chase, which included quick dismissals of Grace Harris (0) and Jemimah Rodrigues (1).
A determined performance by Jess Jonassen, who scored 44 not out off 28 balls, kept the Heat in the game, but the Renegades ultimately secured their first WBBL title in front of 5,844 fans, the largest crowd of the season. Hayley was rightfully named Player of the Final for her outstanding all-round performance.
"Congratulations to the Melbourne Renegades on winning their inaugural WBBL title in front of a record crowd at the MCG. Today’s final concluded a fantastic tenth season of the WBBL, with increases in average viewership and attendance showcasing the world-class cricket on display.
"We appreciate everyone who contributed to making Weber WBBL 10 unforgettable, including our clubs, players, broadcasters, partners, and venues, and we eagerly anticipate the start of the BBL 14 season in two weeks," stated Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager for Big Bash Leagues.
Cricket Australia announced that the WBBL’s inaugural Player Movement Window will open at 9:00 am on Monday for a duration of 10 days. During this period, clubs can a) trade players with other clubs, b) sign players from other clubs who are in the final year of their contracts, or c) trade Overseas Player Draft positions as part of, or independent of, player trades.
“Clubs are not permitted to extend existing player contracts during the window, including those players in the final year of their contracts. Extensions can only occur once the Contracting Embargo is lifted in 2025.”
“WBBL clubs may maintain a maximum of 10 players on their roster at the end of the window. Any pre-signed international player will count toward this maximum roster size,” concluded CA.
