Photo Credit: Adelaide Strikers
A huge week of signings for Adelaide Strikers has been capped off in style, with the announcement that Australian international and South Australian native Tahlia McGrath is locked in for three more seasons in blue.
Bringing 83 games of WBBL experience into the coming summer, McGrath is not only the second-highest run-scorer in franchise history, but also rounds out the top five wicket-takers. One of the country’s leading allrounders, McGrath often takes the new ball and opens the batting for the Strikers, a remarkable achievement backed up by the stunning numbers the right-hander has continuously produced.
McGrath’s career as a Striker is filled with golden moments, but in a game against Brisbane Heat last season, she may have topped them all with a seemingly impossible effort in the field. Moving to her right to cover a ball charging through the air, McGrath watched as teammate Maddie Penna dove to her left in an attempt to take an AFL style mark at full-stretch.
Unable to hold on, Penna parried the ball behind, dramatically reducing its speed in the process. McGrath refused to give up on the ball as it rapidly returned to earth, instead twisting on the spot before lunging full-length to somehow claim the catch millimetres from the grass in one of the greatest catches in competition history.
When asked what it means to be a Striker, McGrath echoed the sentiments of several others to sign in recent weeks, touching on the close-knit group and what they believe they can achieve.
“I can’t wait to chuck on the blue again and get stuck into WBBL|07. Signing a long-term deal was an easy decision as I love the franchise and am excited about the direction we are heading. We’ve got a very talented group and incredible fans and I’m determined to bring some silverware back to Adelaide.”
Kate Harkness, General Manager Adelaide Strikers, couldn’t be happier to keep McGrath in South Australia.
“We are so excited to sign Tahlia onto a long-term contract and lock in three more years of elite entertainment for our fans. Tahlia can do it all on the cricket field, with wickets, runs and unbelievable catches all in her repertoire.
“Tahlia is a wonderful person that has come through the ranks of South Australian cricket and made it all the way to the international stage, and for someone of that quality to want to be a Striker for years to come speaks to what we are building in Adelaide.”
Opening the batting throughout WBBL|06, McGrath was the third-highest run-scorer for the Strikers, but also bowled the second-most overs in the squad, finishing as the fifth-highest wicket taker in blue. It is this ability to impact all facets of the game that has seen McGrath selected into the Australian squad for the upcoming international series against India in Queensland.
A vital thread in the Strikers outfit, McGrath’s three-year commitment solidifies the team not only for the imminent Weber WBBL|07, but well into the future as well.
