Photo Credit: Perth Scorchers
Perth Scorchers have further strengthened their playing stocks ahead of Weber WBBL|09, with the announcement of several player signings in recent weeks.
After the completion of WBBL|08, there were 10 players from the squad who were out of contract, with only young allrounder Charis Bekker, seamer Taneale Peschel, Amy Edgar and experienced Australian pair Beth Mooney and Alana King locked in ahead of this year’s tournament.
Experienced quick Piepa Cleary was the first of seven local players to recommit, signing a two-year deal which sees her remain at the club until the end of WBBL|10.
The whippy right-armer played a vital role during the Scorchers’ WBBL|08 campaign, finishing with 11 wickets at 22.64 from 13 matches.
A model of consistency, the 27-year-old sits equal-third on the Scorchers’ all-time wicket-taking list with 46 at 25.89, alongside fellow quick Taneale Peschel.
She is one of Perth’s most experienced players, with her 69 matches over eight seasons placing her fourth on the all-time list for the Scorchers, behind Heather Graham, Nicole Bolton, and current teammate Chloe Piparo.
Piparo is also locked in for WBBL|09, confirming her spot in the playing squad after also signing a two-year extension.
The elegant right-hander has been a mainstay of the Scorchers’ line-up since first joining the Club ahead of WBBL|01.
Known for consistency and longevity over her career, Piparo is one of only two players in Club history to play more than 100 WBBL matches for the Scorchers, with the 29-year-old passing former teammate Heather Graham on Perth’s all-time list for WBBL games played last season.
The Scorchers have also completed the player signing of Stella Campbell, with the towering fast bowler joining from Sydney Sixers.
The 21-year-old played 45 matches for Sydney Sixers, where she took 21 wickets at 30.81 including a best of 2-12.
Standing at 184cm, Campbell generates significant bounce and bowls with noteworthy pace, having been clocked in excess of 120km/h.
She joins a fast-bowling group featuring experience pair Taneale Peschel and Piepa Cleary, and captain Sophie Devine.
Last week, exciting pair Lilly Mills and Maddy Darke pledged their loyalty to the club, agreeing to remain at the Scorchers until the end of WBBL|10.
The off- spinner has been a revelation since joining Perth from Brisbane Heat ahead of WBBL|07, taking 31 wickets at 14.96 with a best of 4-25 in 28 matches.
Her combination with fellow spinner Alana King has been a weapon for Perth over the past two seasons, with the pair striking up a fruitful partnership.
Meanwhile, this will be Darke’s second season in orange, following her Scorchers campaign in WBBL|08.
The 22-year-old, who moved from New South Wales to Perth ahead of the 2021-22 Women’s National Cricket League season, is eager to bring her outstanding WNCL form to the WBBL.
Darke is one of the country’s brightest young prospects, with the young star producing a career-best season for WA in last year’s Women’s National Cricket League.
She finished with 475 runs including four half-centuries and a century, at an average of 52.78 from her 10 innings.
Exciting allrounder Chloe Ainsworth and experienced middle order batter Lisa Griffith round out the Scorchers local list spots for WBBL|09, with the pair agreeing to two-year and one-year deals respectively.
Ainsworth’s two-year deal is her first in the WBBL, tying the talented 18-year-old to the Scorchers until at least the end of WBBL|10.
It caps off a whirlwind 12 months for the Melville product, with her outstanding WA Premier Cricket form earning a Women’s National Cricket League debut against Queensland last December, aged just 17.
Griffith was part of Perth’s title-winning WBBL|07 side and returned from injury last season to win the Karen Reid Medal as the best and fairest female player in WA Premier Cricket.
The powerful right-hander tallied 379 runs at 47.38 for Subiaco-Floreat in the A-Grade T20 competition and made several meaningful contributions in WA colours.
The Scorchers have one more international player list spot left to fill, following the recruitment of New Zealand international Sophie Devine and experienced English wicketkeeper batter Amy Jones in the inaugural WBBL Overseas player draft.
Perth Scorchers squad for WBBL|09
Chloe Ainsworth
Charis Bekker
Stella Campbell
Piepa Cleary
Maddy Darke
Sophie Devine (Captain; International – New Zealand)
Amy Edgar
Lisa Griffith
Amy Jones (International – England)
Alana King
Lilly Mills
Beth Mooney
Taneale Peschel
Chloe Piparo
The Scorchers begin their WBBL|09 season with a two-match road trip against Hobart Hurricanes (October 20, UTAS Stadium) and Brisbane Heat (October 22, North Sydney Oval), before returning home to host the Hurricanes on 25 October at the WACA Ground.
To view Perth Scorchers’ MBBL and WBBL fixtures, click here.
