The 12th edition of the marquee tournament, the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), is set to get underway on Thursday with a nail-biting encounter between the Melbourne Renegades at Junction Oval. Following the three playoffs, the final will be held on December 5. A total of 40 matches will be played during the league stage, with the top team going straight through to the final. The third- and fourth-placed teams will face off in the knockout, and the winner of which will face the second-placed side in the Challenger for the other finalist spot.

Eight teams – Adelaide Strikers Women, Brisbane Heat Women, Hobart Hurricanes Women, Melbourne Renegades Women, Melbourne Stars Women, Perth Scorchers Women, Sydney Sixers Women, and Sydney Thunder Women – will be competing in the tournament. The Hobart Hurricanes women will head into the tournament as reigning champions after clinching their maiden WBBL title there last year.

There are also a number of overseas players registering their presence in the tournament. Notably, the 12th edition of the event also introduces a major rule change, giving the teams authority to pick a designated batter, who can bat without being required to field or bowl. This will surely help teams boost their batting attack, bringing an extra player. 

All overseas players:

Adelaide Strikers: Maia Bouchier, Sophie Ecclestone, Anesu Mushangwe, Laura Wolvaardt

Brisbane Heat: Yastika Bhatia, Sarah Glenn, Orla Prendergast

Hobart Hurricanes: Chamari Athapaththu, Chinelle Henry, Linsey Smith

Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tyron

Melbourne Stars: Charlie Dean, Dani Gibson, Amy Jones

Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Fatima Sana

Sydney Sixers: Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Melie Kerr

Sydney Thunder: Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk, Heather Knight

All squad: 

Adelaide Strikers Women: Maia Bouchier, Emma de Broughe, Maggie Clark, Sophie Ecclestone, Ellie Johnston, Eleanor Larosa, Tahlia McGrath, Anesu Mushangwe, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Ella Wilson, Laura Wolvaardt, 

Brisbane Heat Women: Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry, Lucinda Bourke, Sianna Ginger, Sarah Glenn, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Charli Knott, Annie O'Neil, Grace Parsons, Orla Prendergast, Georgia Redmayne, Catherine White, Mikayla Wrigley, Yastika Bhatia 

Hobart Hurricanes Women: Chamari Athapaththu, Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ella Hayward, Chinelle Henry, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Kate Pelle, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Linsey Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Callie Wilson

Melbourne Renegades Women: Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux, Olivia Porter, Sophie Reid, Chloe Tryon, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Annie Wikman, Lucy Wilson

Melbourne Stars Women: Tia Davidge, Sophie Day, Charlie Dean, Kim Garth, Dani Gibson, Maisy Gibson, Amy Jones, Meg Lanning, Carly Leeson, Rhys McKenna, Indigo Noble, Georgia Prestwidge, Zoe Samuel, Naomi Stalenberg, Annabel Sutherland

Perth Scorchers Women: Chloe Ainsworth, Sophie Devine, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Friday, Ebony Hoskin, Freya Kemp, Alana King, Katie Mack, Ines McKeon, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Fatima Sana, Ruby Strange

Sydney Sixers Women: Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Alice Capsey, Lauren Cheatle, Sarah Coyte, Sophia Dunkley, Ashleigh Gardner, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr, Grace Lyons, Frankie Nicklin, Ellyse Perry, Eva Ragg, Courtney Sippel

Sydney Thunder Women: Jemma Barsby, Sam Bates, Lauren Bell, Hannah Darlington, Nadine de Klerk, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Nicola Hancock, Laura Harris, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson