A bright start to the WBBL
Organisers were delighted to see a crowd of just over 1500 attend the first fixtures of the inaugural Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) between the Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat on Saturday at the Junction Oval in St Kilda.
Spectators were not just family and friends, as has so often been the case with women’s domestic cricket, but cricket clubs from across the city and families with cricket-mad children, both boys and girls, who were eager to watch the matches unfold.
There was a positive atmosphere around the ground as the local skipper, Meg Lanning, played a sublime innings of 90 off only 58 deliveries, scoring an impressive 12 fours and two sixes along the way.
Each boundary was met with cheering from the crowd and a blast of music, often leading to a quick dance from the younger supporters.
It was a reminder that while these were serious skilled athletes in action, the day provided all-round entertainment for a happy crowd.
The free popcorn and coffee may have added to the mood.
When Brisbane Heat were batting it was Grace Harris and Ash Barty, the former Wimbledon Junior champion who turned to cricket only a few months ago, who were crowd favourites.
Harris made her Australian debut in Ireland in August and then played in the T20 series of the Southern Stars’ successful Ashes campaign.
Harris has already shown how powerful a hitter she is.
In this innings she opened and made 42 off just 21 balls, striking nine fours.
Barty also played well, if rather unorthodoxly, for her 39 off 27 as she hit the only six of Brisbane’s innings.
The Stars won by 20 runs as they dismissed the Heat for 136 in the 20th over.
One spectator (male) said it was a privilege to watch Meg Lanning bat from close-up.
And he was by no means the only person excited at seeing the Australian captain deliver another batting masterclass.
The opportunity to collect autographs between games was seized by a number of fans, including a young group of girls who on the count of three chorused, ‘Meg Lanning can we get your autograph?’
Lanning of course returned to them and signed a number of hats and bats for the club cricketers.
All were thrilled at having just met the Megastar, and were jumping around and genuinely couldn’t believe their luck.
Groups of young girls took the chance to display their cricketing skills on the outfield between the games.
This was made a far more momentous occasion as they were joined by members of the Stars’ squad.
Many spectators took advantage of other cricketing activities around the ground, with a speed gun measuring bowling a particular favourite.
Again in the second match the number one batsman in T20s and ODIs in the world continued to lead from the front, this time scoring an unbeaten 75 off 56 as the Stars secured their second victory of the tournament.
Harris was still seeing the ball well as she made 37 off only 18 balls.
She looked as though she was taking the game away from the home side before being dismissed in the sixth over with the score on 57-2 as they chased 148 to win.
Jess Jonassen was the other standout batsman for Brisbane as she finished on 52 not out from 48 deliveries and kept the visitor’s hopes of a first win alive until the final over.
This time the winning margin for the Melbourne Stars was just ten runs.
The WBBL will return to Melbourne on the 2nd January when the MCG will stage a local derby between the Stars and Renegades which will be a double-header with their male counterparts in the BBL.
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