Hayley Matthews Returns To The Renegades For The Women’s Big Bash League Season 10

West Indies women’s captain Matthews has signed a one-year pre-draft contract with the Melbourne Renegades

Hayley Mathews will be back for the Melbourne Renegades /

By Ian Omoro

Following the league's introduction of new signing procedures this year, the Renegades are the fourth WBBL club to confirm an international deal.

After agreeing to a one-year contract, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews will again play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Weber WBBL|10. As the third pick in the draft, Matthews was welcomed with great excitement the previous season after putting on some incredible performances for the West Indies, notably a memorable century against Australia at North Sydney Oval. However, she found it difficult to duplicate that in a disappointing season for Renegades, who ended last with just two wins despite her finishing as their joint-leading wicket-taker with 14 at 27.64. Her season total was 255 runs at 19.61 and a strike rate 114.34.

Matthews will bolster the Renegades batting lineup, which will also see the return of skipper Sophie Molineux this summer. The Australian all-rounder missed the whole WBBL|09 season while recovering from an ACL tear.

"It hampered us not having our full squad together for either of the two years I've been there ... just having Sophie around the group again is going to be such a plus," Matthews said to the press.

"I saw what she was able to do at the WPL, the way she was able to go out there and express herself and just be free, we're super excited to have her back at the Renegades and hopefully doing even better," she added.

The Renegades struggled last season, in large part due to the absence of both Molineux and fellow injured Australian star Tayla Vlaeminck. Additionally, their high-profile overseas trio of Tammy Beaumont, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Matthews could not perform to the level anticipated of them at bat.

Together with Molineux's left-arm orthodox and Georgia Wareham's leg-spin, Matthews will join an enviable spin brigade for the Renegades. Ella Hayward, a young off-spinner, will accompany the trio of world talents.

The fact that the West Indies have no scheduled conflicting tours during the WBBL|10, which takes place from October 27 to December 1, is good news for the club.