Sydney Thunder take big step in WBBL title defence
In cricket news, by extending Head Coach Trevor Griffin’s contract for another two years, Sydney Thunder have fired the first shot in their WBBL title defence.
Griffin has led the Thunder for two seasons, finishing sixth in his first game before leading his team to a remarkable triumph in the WBBL|06 last summer.
The Thunder finished third in the regular season of the WBBL|06 before topping the Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars in the semi-finals and finals, respectively.
Griffin had done an amazing job over the past two seasons, according to Cricket NSW’s Head of Female Cricket, Leah Poulton.
“The Thunder play a brand of cricket that’s exciting and dynamic that people love to watch,” Poulton said.
“The confidence displayed on-field by the players is built from a culture of trust and respect driven by Trev.
“We are fortunate to have someone of his calibre leading the program and are thrilled to have him back for another two seasons.”
Griffin, the first non-Australian coach in WBBL history, expressed his delight at the prospect of returning to Sydney and the world’s finest domestic T20 league with a squad of players worthy of greatness.
“I can’t wait to come back, the Thunder squad has so much potential,” Griffin said from the UK.
“The last two years as Head Coach have been a real privilege and winning WBBL|06 last year was the culmination of a huge amount of hard work from the entire squad — players and staff, so it’s awesome to be asked back to the brilliant Thunder Nation to continue the journey.
“We’ve a lot of young players who are growing as individuals and learning their craft, plus a few more experienced heads in there too which is a great combination.
“We didn’t always execute our plans as best we could last year and there’s lots to work on as we develop the brand of cricket we want to play. It’s a brilliant prospect and really exciting to keep working on the squad’s development to see just how far they can go.”
Griffin stated that he and his players will follow a similar script to last season as they attempt to win back-to-back championships.
“My message hasn’t changed from last year, I want the squad to keep working hard on their game and enjoy their cricket,” he said.
“If they keep learning, keep showing how great they are and be themselves, I’ll be a very happy coach.
“Winning a tournament and showcasing your best cricket is always what you set out to do, but defending any title is way harder so the pressure will be on — but that’s exactly why we play professional sport, to go up against the best, push ourselves and try to come out on top.
“We’re working hard to improve and getting our plans in place, I’m sure every other team will be out to try and beat us to that title, so it’s set to be a fantastic tournament.”
