For the 2017 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season, English batter Tammy Beaumont has signed with her former team, the Melbourne Renegades, while Adelaide Strikers have signed off-spinner all-rounder Georgia Adams.
Beaumont, who was disqualified from the WBBL international draft, has signed with the Renegades through a new direct signing regulation. Notably, there were circumstances in which international players might sign directly with a team without going through the draft. Beaumont will sign directly with the squad, joining New Zealander Suzie Bates, South African duo Mignon du Preez (Brisbane Heat) and Lizelle Lee (Hobart Hurricanes), and England teammates Amy Jones (Perth Scorchers) and Sophia Dunkley (Melbourne Stars).
She had previously played for the Renegades in 2019 before spending three seasons with Sydney Thunder, including their championship season in 2020. In the upcoming season, she will be playing for the Renegades alongside India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews.
Additionally, from 2016 to 2018, the 32-year-old began her WBBL career with Adelaide Strikers.
The club has to improve their batting, according to Simon Helmot, head coach of the Renegades, in preparation for the international draft.
“We need to get better at hitting. We require runs, something we lacked during the previous campaign since Jess Duffin was thereafter unable to participate and Harmanpreet was obviously unable to travel. We therefore want to increase our batting depth, according to Helmot, who spoke to ESPNcricinfo.
While Adams hasn’t yet played for an international cricket team, the Strikers’ decision to hire her was a risky one. At the draft, Strikers also signed Laura Wolvaardt from South Africa and Danielle Gibson, a promising all-rounder from England, in addition to her. Due to salary restrictions, the team was unable to keep title-winning all-arounder Deandra Dottin.
After collaborating with Strikers assistant coach Luke Williams to help Southern Brave win the Women’s Hundred, Adams and Williams will reconvene. In the recently finished season, the 29-year-old off-spinner was essential for Brave with both the bat and the ball.