Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Experienced batter joins Thunder after six seasons at the Hurricanes
Hobart Hurricanes captain Corinne Hall says she is absolutely thrilled to join Sydney Thunder after signing a one-year deal with the defending WBBL champions.
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Hall, who grew up in Newcastle, returns to the state where it all began in 2008 with the NSW Breakers.
The 33-year-old played two seasons with the NSW Breakers before moving to Tasmania where has established herself as one of the most respected and much-loved cricketers at the domestic level.
“Thunder have created an amazing culture which breeds success. It’s very exciting to be a part of that,” Hall said.
“I know Thunder are a very professional organisation.”
Hall led the Hurricanes in three WBBL campaigns during her six years with the club, scoring nearly 1,000 runs.
The opportunity to play with such a strong blend of youth and experience at the Thunder, as well as the lure of returning ‘home’ to play Big Bash, were both big drawcards for Hall.
“The most appealing thing for me was the opportunity to play with such a great mixture of players,” Hall said.
“You’ve got senior leaders like (Thunder captain) Rachael Haynes – who I’ve long admired for her leadership – and Sammy-Jo Johnson. Then you have a really great bunch of young talented girls coming through as well like Hannah Darlington and Phoebe Litchfield.
“Towards the back end of my career, there was always a lingering thought in the back of my mind that I’d like to finish playing in NSW as well.”
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An excited Thunder captain, Haynes said Hall would “add a lot to the squad”, not only with her leadership traits, but also her competitive edge.
“Certainly, having had the opportunity myself to play alongside her, I know the type of character she is and the types of attributes that she possesses,” Haynes said.
“Not only is she a competitor, but she’s also really tenacious as well. I think that’s the thing that stands out for me.
“She just never gives up.”
Hall takes on a different challenge at the Thunder, leading without the ‘c’ next to her name.
“I think anytime you’ve been in a leadership position, you understand team makeup, tactics from a completely different level,” she said.
“Having the responsibility of looking after other players, but also your own performance, I think that’s something that’s been a challenge for me over the last couple of years.
“I found my feet in WBBL|05 of getting the balance right.
“(Captaincy) just creates a whole new element to your game and you’re constantly seeing things from a different point of view which will hopefully help our leaders at the Thunder.”
Off the field, Hall is just as talented with pencil in hand as a self-taught artist.
Last year, Hall provided drawings of 35 inspirational female athletes for a book called ‘Victress – Women who paved the way in Australian Sport’ including names such as former Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser, athlete Cathy Freeman, tennis player Ash Barty and Ellyse Perry.
Unsurprisingly, given her talent, drawings for her teammates are not uncommon.
“I’ve done a lot of different pieces for teammates over the last couple of years in particular, couple of landscapes, but a lot of dog portraits actually, a lot of people want me to draw their beloved pups,” Hall said with a smile.
And the possibility of some Thunder player portraits in the future?
“I mean I’m open to it. I don’t know if we’ll get into the whole posing like in the Titanic or anything, one portrait here or there I wouldn’t say no to.”
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Sydney Thunder WBBL Squad
Head Coach: Trevor Griffin
Contracted for WBBL|07: Rachael Haynes (C), Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Corinne Hall, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Kate Peterson, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson.
Sydney Thunder WBBL|07 Fixtures (All AEDT Start Times)
Sat 16 Oct | Vs Adelaide Strikers | 7:05pm | North Sydney Oval
Sun 17 Oct | Vs Sydney Sixers | 1:40pm | North Sydney Oval
Tues 19 Oct | Vs Adelaide Strikers | 3:40pm | Blacktown ISP
Sat 23 Oct | Vs Sydney Sixers | 3:40pm | WACA
Sun 24 Oct | Vs Perth Scorchers | 5:15pm | WACA
Sat 30 Oct | Vs Melbourne Stars | 3:40pm | Metricon Stadium
Sun 31 Oct | Vs Hobart Hurricanes | 10:15am | Metricon Stadium
Sat 6 Nov | Vs Melbourne Stars | 1:40pm | CitiPower Centre
Sun 7 Nov | Vs Brisbane Heat | 10:15am | CitiPower Centre
Tues 9 Nov | Vs Melbourne Renegades | 7:05pm | Blacktown ISP
Sat 13 Nov | Vs Melbourne Renegades | 2:00pm | Ballarat
Sun 14 Nov | Vs Perth Scorchers | 10:15am | Ballarat
Fri 19 Nov | Vs Brisbane Heat | 7:05pm | Great Barrier Reef Arena
Sat 20 Nov | Vs Hobart Hurricanes | 3:40pm | Great Barrier Reef Arena
Click here to sync the fixtures to your e-cal.
