The Melbourne Renegades have officially appointed Hayley Matthews as the captain for the upcoming WBBL|09 season. Matthews, who currently leads the West Indies in all formats of international cricket, will take the reins for the Renegades in place of Sophie Molineux, who will miss the season due to her ongoing recovery from an ACL injury.
This marks Matthews’ second season with the Renegades, building on a successful WBBL|08 campaign where she made significant contributions, scoring a team-high of 253 runs and claiming nine wickets. Her leadership qualities were also showcased last season when she captained the side for two games in Sophie Molineux’s absence, winning both matches.
Melbourne Renegades General Manager, James Rosengarten, expressed confidence in Matthews’ leadership abilities, stating, “While it is disappointing not to have Sophie for WBBL|09, we’re fortunate to have a highly experienced leader like Hayley ready to step up. As the captain of the West Indian team, Hayley was the natural choice to lead the team during Sophie’s absence. Her performance and leadership last season during WBBL|08 left a positive impression on us.”
Renegades have also signed South Australian player Emma De Broughe
In addition to announcing Matthews as captain, the Renegades have also confirmed the signing of South Australian player Emma De Broughe as a replacement for Tayla Vlaeminck.
The Melbourne Renegades will commence their WBBL|09 season this Friday, facing the Brisbane Heat at the CitiPower Centre, with the match scheduled to kick off at 3:00 PM.
The Renegades have assembled a formidable squad for WBBL|09, featuring a mix of international and domestic talent, including Hayley Matthews, Tammy Beaumont (England), Sarah Coyte, Emma De Broughe, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin, Ella Hayward, Ellie Falconer, Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Erica Kershaw, Sophie Molineux, Rhiann O’Donnell, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Wareham, and Courtney Webb.
