In news that will have all Hurricanes fans happy, last year’s leading run scorer for the Hobart Hurricanes, Lizelle Lee, can now be confirmed as a local player, freeing up the overseas pre-signing spot for WBBL|11.
Despite signing a two-year overseas pre-signing deal last summer, Lee can now sign as a local player following the approval of her Australian residency in 2024.
She has now signed a two-year deal to continue her career in Tasmania for the Hobart Hurricanes.
Cricket Tasmania General Manager – High Performance, Salliann Beams, spoke about the importance of Lee’s signing as a local player.
"We are delighted to have Lizelle around in purple for the next two seasons, and her batting last season was instrumental in our WBBL Finals run.
"Whilst we already had her signed as our Overseas Pre-Signing, having her now as a local player, gives us even further flexibility to bring more talent to our WBBL|11 squad.
"Her performances last season, especially her back-to-back hundreds, showed she was one of the form batters in Women's T20 cricket.
"It's exciting to have her on our team!” stated Beams.
Lee’s season was her best to date for the Hurricanes, since joining the franchise in WBBL|08.
In her 40 games for the Purple Army, she has scored 1,104 runs at an average of 31.54 and has an incredible three WBBL hundreds to her name.
Two of those hundreds came in back-to-back games last summer, when she scored the highest ever score in the WBBL, 150* not out against the Scorchers, before backing it up at home against the Strikers, scoring 103 in front of home fans.
As a former South African International cricketer, having played in tests, ODIs and T20s for the Proteas, second overall for runs in T20s and third in ODIs, Lee’s dominance in the shorter format is an asset to the Hurricanes squad.
Also donning the gloves for the Hurricanes last summer, she will continue to be a crucial member of the WBBL|11 squad.
Lee joins Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano and Elyse Villani as Hurricanes players under contract for WBBL|11, with future players to be announced over the coming months.
Details on Hobart Hurricanes memberships and tickets will be communicated to fans in the coming months.