Line-up boosted by Ashes winner and NZ all-rounder

LOUGHBOUROUGH LIGHTNING’S NEW OVERSEAS TRIO HAS STAR QUALITY

BIG-HITTING New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine and Australia’s Ashes-winning captain Rachael Haynes will join top-order batter Elyse Villani in a high-quality overseas trio hoping to make Loughborough Lightning powerful contenders in the 2018 Women’s Kia Super League, which launches on Sunday.

But Aussie star Ellyse Perry will not be returning for the 2018 season. The high-profile all-rounder, who regularly flies back and forth between Australia and Leicester, where her rugby-playing husband Matt Toomua is based, has decided to spend a few months at home ahead of a busy schedule in international cricket.

Devine, who played for Lightning in 2016 before signing for Yorkshire Diamonds last summer, returns after an excellent 12 months in which she has scored more than 1,300 runs in international cricket and will be looking to make a positive start as the Midlands team begin their campaign against Lancashire Thunder in Southport (14.30).

The 28-year-old has hit four of her five career one-day international hundreds during this prolific streak, the latest an unbeaten 117 as the Kiwis beat England Women by four wickets in an ICC Women’s Championship match at Leicester earlier this month.

Devine also had a successful Women’s Big Bash League season for Adelaide Strikers, scoring more than 350 runs.

The right-handed batter, who holds the world record for the fastest 50 – hit off 18 deliveries – in women’s T20 cricket, made an unbeaten 103 off just 48 balls, including eight sixes, as the Strikers crushed Hobart Hurricanes on Boxing Day last year.

Her international T20 record includes 1,655 runs and 68 wickets, bowling medium pace seam.

The left-hander Haynes arrives after leading Australia to a home Ashes win over England, standing in as captain for the injured Meg Lanning.

The 31-year-old, who has not always been able to reproduce her domestic form in international cricket, was something of a surprise pick by the Australian selectors. An impressive performer in the 2013 Women’s World Cup, she lost her place soon afterwards and was out of the side for more than three years.

Brought back for her leadership qualities and tactical acumen, she justified her selection by scoring 89 not out in the second match of the series and averaging in the 40s.

She backed that up with an outstanding WBBL campaign for Sydney Thunder, who reached the semifinals after Haynes had made an impressive 426 runs, with four halfcenturies.

Villani, who starred with 71 in Lightning’s emphatic win over Surrey Stars at the Kia Oval in their final fixture last summer, has also been in superb form.

The 28-year-old top-order batter topped 500 runs at 41.15 as Perth Scorchers finished runners-up in the WBBL, hitting five half-centuries, and was one of Australia’s top players in their recent T20 tri-series in India, smashing 51 off 30 balls as the Aussies beat England in the final.