Women’s Big Bash League 2019, Standout player, biggest takeaway, best team – Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, and Melbourne Stars

Four weeks into the WBBL 2019, and the tournament is in full swing. There were plenty of runs, a few collapses, and a lot of excitement over the last week. We look at the best moments.

Standout player – Beth Mooney

Mooney has made it her personal mission to give bowlers nightmares this WBBL. She is currently at the top of the run charts in the tournament, a full 90 runs above her closest competitor in Ellyse Perry, and has already racked up five half-centuries in eight matches. Brisbane Heat, the defending champions, are top of the table too, and a large part of that is down to her. In her latest outing, she scored a 60-ball 70* against Melbourne Stars, and you get the feeling more is to come from her the longer the tournament goes.

Standout moment – Devine five sixes

Sophie Devine scored a 56-ball 85 for Adelaide Strikers against – who else – Melbourne Stars, and the remarkable thing about that figure is the fact that 31 of those runs came in the last over. Devine slapped five consecutive sixes in the final over of their clash, and the burst ensured Adelaide could post 164/4 in the innings. Devine had been commensurate for most of her innings, but set herself up for assault at the end – the unfortunate bowler was Madeline Penna, the leg-spinner. Those five sixes meant Devine became only the second player in WBBL to reach the double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets.

Room for improvement – Stars continue to underwhelm

Melbourne Stars have become that side in a tournament who everyone else targets to boost their net run-rate. Melbourne have lost seven of their eight matches so far, with their only victory coming against Perth Scorchers midway through the tournament. Unfortunately, they couldn’t build on that, suffering three consecutive losses thereafter. It means the campaign is more or less dead and buried for the stars, but they can try and end it with dignity, if they can manage to somehow reverse the fortunes. They’ll be desperate.

Standout quote – “I can swing here and hope that it comes off!”

–          Sophie Devine after her last-over blitz.