# Adelaide Strikers (WBBL)

The Adelaide Strikers (WBBL) are an Australian women's Twenty20 cricket team based in North Adelaide, South Australia. They compete in the Women's Big Bash League, and won their first championship in WBBL|08.

## History
### Formation

One of eight founding WBBL teams, the Adelaide Strikers are aligned with the men's team of the same name. At the official WBBL launch on 10 July 2015, Megan Schutt was unveiled as the team's first-ever player signing. Andrea McCauley was appointed as the Strikers' inaugural coach, while Lauren Ebsary became the team's inaugural captain.
The Strikers played their first match on 12 December at Aurora Stadium against the Hobart Hurricanes, losing by two runs. Their first win came on 20 December at Allan Border Field against the Sydney Thunder, chasing down a target of 149 runs with six wickets in hand and six balls to spare.

### Rivalries
#### Perth Scorchers

In the league's early years, the Strikers and the Perth Scorchers experienced several instances of senior members switching allegiances:
* Inaugural Strikers captain Lauren Ebsary joined the Scorchers after just one season.
* Former Scorchers captain Suzie Bates moved to the Strikers ahead of WBBL|03 and became the first player to lead two WBBL clubs.
* After scoring the most runs for Perth throughout WBBL|01, Charlotte Edwards transferred to Adelaide in her final year of cricket. The following season, Edwards assumed an assistant coaching role for the Strikers.
* Ahead of WBBL|06, former Adelaide all-rounder Shelley Nitschke was appointed to the position of head coach for the Scorchers.
Noteworthy matches between the two teams include:
* 13 January 2018, Traeger Park: In a match reduced to 16 overs per side due to a rain delay, the Scorchers could only muster a first innings score of 9/87. In the run chase, Suzie Bates played a lone hand of 49 not out to help the Strikers win by six wickets with one ball to spare.
* 9 November 2019, Karen Rolton Oval: An innings of 80 runs from 58 deliveries by Amy Jones helped Perth post a total of 3/173. Despite a slow start to the run chase, Adelaide finished strongly with Bridget Patterson scoring 60 off 32 balls. However, Heather Graham conceded just a single off the final ball to give the Scorchers a two-run win.
* 7 December 2019, Allan Border Field: In the WBBL|05 semi-finals, the Strikers comfortably reached the required total of 127 with eight wickets in hand and eleven balls remaining to eliminate the Scorchers from the tournament.

#### Brisbane Heat

Noteworthy matches between the Strikers and the Brisbane Heat include:
* 21 January 2017, The Gabba: Chasing a modest total of 6/127, the Strikers required three runs for victory with two balls remaining. Brisbane medium-pacer Deandra Dottin then bowled Tegan McPharlin before conceding two runs off the final delivery to force a tie. In the resulting super over, Dottin–who had earlier scored 51 runs with the bat–capped off a dominant all-round performance by taking two wickets and limiting Adelaide to just four runs. Beth Mooney scored the winning runs to secure the Heat's first finals appearance.
* 8 December 2019, Allan Border Field: In the WBBL|05 final, the Heat gained early ascendancy through quick bowler Georgia Prestwidge, who dismissed Player of the Tournament Sophie Devine for just five. A "superb" knock of 55 runs from 33 balls by Amanda-Jade Wellington helped the Strikers to recover to a competitive score of 7/161. The match swung heavily toward Brisbane's favour in the fifth over of the run chase when Sammy-Jo Johnson hit four sixes against the bowling of Devine, though Johnson would be out caught-and-bowled on the last ball of the over. When Devine returned to bowl the eleventh over of the innings, Heat batter Jess Jonassen was dropped by Wellington at extra cover. Jonassen then scored a boundary from each of the next three deliveries she faced, taking Brisbane's required scoring rate down to less than a run a ball. The Heat went on to win with six wickets in hand and eleven balls remaining, claiming their second consecutive championship. For her contribution of 56 not out, Beth Mooney was named Player of the Final.

## Captaincy records

There have been five captains in the Strikers' history, including matches featuring an acting captain.
| Captain | Span | M | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W–L% |
| Lauren Ebsary | 2015–2016 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 42.86 |
| Tegan McPharlin | 2016–2017 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 25 |
| Suzie Bates | 2017–2020 | 46 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 53.33 |
| Megan Schutt | 2020–2022 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 57.14 |
| Tahlia McGrath | 2021–2024 | 56 | 32 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 61.54 |
Source:

## Season summaries

| Season | W–L | Pos. | Finals | Coach | Captain | Most Runs | Most Wickets | Most Valuable Player |
| 2015–16 | 6–8 | 7th | DNQ | Andrea McCauley | Lauren Ebsary | Sarah Taylor – 393 | Sarah Coyte – 14 | Sarah Taylor |
| 2016–17 | 3–9 | 8th | DNQ | Andrea McCauley | Tegan McPharlin | Sophie Devine – 270 | Megan Schutt – 13 | Megan Schutt |
| 2017–18 | 8–6 | 4th | SF | Andrea McCauley | Suzie Bates | Suzie Bates – 434 | Devine, Wellington – 17 | Sophie Devine |
| 2018–19 | 5–8 | 6th | DNQ | Andrea McCauley | Suzie Bates | Sophie Devine – 556 | Sophie Devine – 14 | Sophie Devine |
| 2019–20 | 10–4 | 2nd | RU | Luke Williams | Suzie Bates | Sophie Devine – 769* | Coyte, Devine – 19 | Sophie Devine* |
| 2020–21 | 6–7 | 6th | DNQ | Luke Williams | Suzie Bates | Laura Wolvaardt – 347 | Sarah Coyte – 18 | Sarah Coyte |
| 2021–22 | 7–6 | 4th | RU | Luke Williams | Tahlia McGrath | Katie Mack – 513 | Amanda-Jade Wellington – 23* | Katie Mack |
| 2022–23 | 8–5 | 2nd | C | Luke Williams | Tahlia McGrath | Laura Wolvaardt – 403 | Megan Schutt – 27* | Megan Schutt |
| 2023–24 | 11–3 | 1st | C | Luke Williams | Tahlia McGrath | Katie Mack – 452 | Amanda-Jade Wellington – 23* | Megan Schutt |
| 2024–25 | 3–6 | 7th | DNQ | Luke Williams | Tahlia McGrath | Tahlia McGrath – 222 | Megan Schutt – 13 | |
Legend :
| DNQ | Did not qualify | SF | Semi-finalists | * | Led the league |
| EF | Lost the Eliminator | RU | Runners-up | ^ | League record |
| CF | Lost the Challenger | C | Champions |

## Home grounds

| Venue | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season | Games hosted by season |
| Venue | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | Total |
| Adelaide Oval | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | – | N/A | 4 | – | 2 | 2 | 19 |
| Adelaide Oval No. 2 | 3 | – | – | – | – | N/A | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Albrecht Oval | – | – | – | 2 | – | N/A | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Centennial Park Oval | – | – | – | – | 1 | N/A | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| Glenelg Oval | – | 2 | 4 | – | – | N/A | – | – | – | – | 6 |
| Karen Rolton Oval | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | N/A | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 22 |
| Traeger Park | – | – | 2 | – | – | N/A | – | – | – | – | 2 |

## Current squad

The squad of the Adelaide Strikers for the 2025–26 Women's Big Bash League season as of 19 February 2025.
* Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| No. | Name | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
| Batters |||||||
| 11 | Madeline Penna | 30 August 2000 | Right-handed | Right-arm Leg spin | |
| All-rounders |||||||
| 9 | Tahlia McGrath | 10 November 1995 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | Captain |
| Wicket-keepers |||||||
| Bowlers |||||||
| 10 | Amanda-Jade Wellington | 29 May 1997 | Right-handed | Right-arm Leg spin | |
| 20 | Darcie Brown | 7 March 2003 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | |
| 27 | Megan Schutt | 15 January 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast | |
| 61 | Anesu Mushangwe | 25 February 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm Leg spin | |

## Players
### Australian representatives

The following is a list of cricketers who have played for the Strikers after making their debut in the national women's team (the period they spent as both a Strikers squad member and an Australian-capped player is in brackets):
* Sarah Coyte (WBBL|01–02, 04–07)
* Lauren Ebsary (WBBL|01)
* Shelley Nitschke (WBBL|01–02)
* Megan Schutt (WBBL|01–10)
* Sarah Elliott (WBBL|02)
* Tahlia McGrath (WBBL|02–10)
* Amanda-Jade Wellington (WBBL|02–10)
* Darcie Brown (WBBL|07–10)

### Overseas marquees

* Sophie Devine (WBBL|01–05)
* Stacy-Ann King (WBBL|01)
* Sarah Taylor (WBBL|01)
* Tammy Beaumont (WBBL|02–03)
* Charlotte Edwards (WBBL|02)
* Suzie Bates (WBBL|03–06)
* Danielle Hazell (WBBL|04)
* Stafanie Taylor (WBBL|05–06)
* Lauren Winfield-Hill (WBBL|05)
* Laura Wolvaardt (WBBL|06–10)
* Katie Perkins (WBBL|06)
* Dane van Niekerk (WBBL|07)
* Deandra Dottin (WBBL|08)
* Georgia Adams (WBBL|09)
* Danielle Gibson (WBBL|09)
* Orla Prendergast (WBBL|10)
* Smriti Mandhana (WBBL|10)

### Associate rookies

* Miranda Veringmeier (WBBL|01)
* Ravina Oa (WBBL|02)
* Kathryn Bryce (WBBL|03)

## Statistics and awards
### Team stats

* Champions: 2 – WBBL|08, WBBL|09
* Runners-up: 2 – WBBL|05, WBBL|07
* Minor premiers: 1 – WBBL|09
* Win–loss record:
| Opposition | M | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | W–L% |
| Brisbane Heat | 24 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 41.67 |
| Hobart Hurricanes | 20 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 72.22 |
| Melbourne Renegades | 21 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 45 |
| Melbourne Stars | 19 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
| Perth Scorchers | 21 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 65 |
| Sydney Sixers | 21 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 42.86 |
| Sydney Thunder | 19 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 58.82 |
| Total | 145 | 73 | 65 | 0 | 7 | 52.90 |
* Highest score in an innings: 5/189 (20 overs) vs Hobart Hurricanes, 8 January 2019
* Highest successful chase: 4/169 (20 overs) vs Perth Scorchers, 5 November 2023
* Lowest successful defence: 7/107 (20 overs) vs Perth Scorchers, 14 January 2018
* Largest victory:
** By runs: 148 runs vs Melbourne Stars, 21 October 2023
** By wickets: 9 wickets vs Melbourne Renegades, 25 November 2021
** By balls remaining: 58 balls remaining vs Sydney Sixers, 20 November 2021
* Longest winning streak: 6 matches
* Longest losing streak: 8 matches
Source:

### Individual stats

* Most runs: Tahlia McGrath – 2,349
* Highest score in an innings: Sophie Devine – 103* (48) vs Hobart Hurricanes, 26 December 2016
* Highest partnership: Katie Mack (cricketer) and Laura Wolvaardt – 135 vs Melbourne Stars, 21 October 2023
* Most wickets: Amanda-Jade Wellington – 157
* Best bowling figures in an innings: Megan Schutt – 6/19 (3.3 overs) vs Sydney Thunder, 20 November 2022
* Hat-tricks taken: Darcie Brown vs Brisbane Heat, 24 October 2021
* Most catches (fielder): Bridget Patterson – 52
* Most dismissals (wicket-keeper): Tegan McPharlin – 91 (51 catches, 40 stumpings)
Source:

### Individual awards

* Player of the Match:
** Sophie Devine – 15
** Tahlia McGrath – 10
** Katie Mack - 7
** Darcie Brown, Bridget Patterson, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt – 5
** Sarah Coyte and Megan Schutt – 4
** Suzie Bates and Madeline Penna – 3
** Deandra Dottin, Lauren Ebsary, Tegan McPharlin, Anesu Mushangwe, Alex Price, Tabatha Saville, Sarah Taylor, and Stafanie Taylor – 1
* WBBL Player of the Final:
** Deandra Dottin – WBBL|08
** Amanda-Jade Wellington – WBBL|09
* WBBL Player of the Tournament:
** Sophie Devine – WBBL|05
* WBBL Team of the Tournament:
** Sophie Devine (4) – WBBL|02, WBBL|03, WBBL|04, WBBL|05
** Darcie Brown (2) – WBBL|06, WBBL|07
** Megan Schutt (2) – WBBL|05, WBBL|08
** Amanda-Jade Wellington (2) – WBBL|07, WBBL|08, WBBL|09
** Sarah Coyte – WBBL|06
** Tahlia McGrath – WBBL|07
** Katie Mack – WBBL|09
* WBBL Young Gun Award: Darcie Brown – WBBL|06

## Sponsors

| Year | Kit Manufacturer | Chest Sponsor | Back Sponsor | Breast Sponsor | Sleeve Sponsor |
| 2015–16 | Majestic | Rebel | Websters Lawyers | Websters Lawyers | Websters Lawyers |
| 2016–17 | Majestic | Rebel | Statewide Super | Websters Lawyers | Rebel |
| 2017–18 | Majestic | Rebel | Statewide Super | Vodafone | Rebel |
| 2018–19 | Majestic | Vodafone | People's Choice | Statewide Super | Rebel |
| 2019–20 | Majestic | Vodafone | People's Choice | Statewide Super | Rebel |
| 2020–21 | Majestic | Vodafone | People's Choice | Statewide Super | Rebel |
| 2021–22 | Nike | Oval Hotel | Oval Hotel | People's Choice | |