Canes’ WBBL boost
ONLY weeks after retiring from international cricket, South Africa’s all-time leading Twenty20 run-scorer Lizelle Lee has joined the Hobart Hurricanes as their first international signing for WBBL|08.
The powerful right-handed opener played three seasons with the Melbourne Stars, before switching to their crosstown rivals, the Melbourne Renegades, on her way to Hobart.
Lee, 30, hung up the pads earlier this month as South
Africa’s highest T20 scorer and second-highest ODI runmaker but said she would continue to play in domestic T20 tournaments around the world.
“From a very young age I have lived cricket and wanted to represent my country at the highest level,” she said.
“Over the past eight years I was able to live that dream, and I feel I have given everything I could to the Proteas.”
Lee represented South Africa in 82 T20 Internationals, amassing 1896 runs at a strike rate of 110.61, as well as playing 100 ODIs and two Test matches.
In her 53 WBBL games, Lee made 1361 runs at a strike rate of 124.86, which included 207 boundaries, 53 of them sixes. She has also made two unbeaten WBBL centuries.
“I’m super excited to be joining the Hurricanes,” Lee said.
“Some people might know that I was originally meant to join the Hurricanes last year, but due to a combination of my family circumstances, international commitments and bubble fatigue, for the sake of my own and my family’s well-being, I just couldn’t make it work.
“My good friend and South African teammate, Mignon Du Preez said she really enjoyed her time in the Hurricanes’ environment last season.
“So that, on top of the great conversations I’ve had with (coach) Sall (Beams) and the team, I can’t wait to get stuck in and see what it’s like for myself this year.”
Lee joins Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Emma
Manix-Geeves, Hayley SilverHolmes, Amy Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman and Elyse Villani on the Hurricanes list.