We met with some of Adelaide Strikers’ star players!

The weather is hotting up, which means we are getting into cricket season, one of the highlights of the Aussie summer.

And at She Shopped, we are all about the rebel Women’s Big Bash League and supporting our mighty Adelaide Strikers.

There are so many reasons to get out to cheer on our home team and the season starts with Fantastic Friday on December 21 for the clash against Melbourne Stars. Starting at 4:00pm at Karen Rolton Oval, it’s the first Strikers home game of the season, so we need to make it a big one.

There will be delicious food trucks from ‘Fork on the Road’, face painting, fireworks, entertainment and activities for the kids; even Father Christmas will be there!

You’ll also have a chance to meet your favourite Strikers players, who are very keen to see their fans out at the Oval in their blue.

“The Strikers fans are the best in the league; we love you so much. We’re out here doing it for you guys. We’d like to say thank you for coming out to our games and hope to see you out some more,” says Tabatha Saville, All Rounder for the Strikers.

“To our fans, the best in the league, I hope you can come out and watch the women, just like you do for the men,” says Katelyn Pope, Bowler for the Strikers.

The Strikers women’s team have all had different experiences that brought them to the game and they are so proud to be playing for South Australia.

“It’s actually a funny story,” Tabatha says. “I was on holiday with my parents in England and I annoyed them to the point where they had to kick me out of the hotel room. There was some lawn area out the front and there was a family playing cricket and my parents said, ‘Go play with them and burn off some of the energy you’ve got.’ I did that and when we got back to Australia, dad signed me up for the local cricket club in Alice Springs and I started playing with the boys.”

“I started playing cricket in the backyard with my brother. My primary school teacher found me at recess and suggested I try out for the under 13’s team. I thought it was a great idea so I tried out and I made the team. I bowl left arm pace and this is my third season with the Strikers,” Katelyn says.

“My love for cricket started at home. My parents always had cricket on TV and I used to go out in the backyard and try to bowl like Glenn McGrath and try to copy his bowling action,” says Tahlia McGrath, All Rounder for Adelaide Strikers.

Alex Price, Off Spinner for the Strikers says, “I started playing cricket in my backyard with my next-door neighbours. Started playing cricket at school and my year six teacher started hitting tennis balls at me and then he was like, ‘she’s alright!’ He sent me out to the SAPSASA trials and my first game was against NSW and that’s how my cricket journey started.”

After Fantastic Friday celebrations, a double-header at Adelaide Oval will feature another WBBL match between the Strikers and the Stars at 2:10pm, followed by a BBL match where the Strikers men take on the Melbourne Renegades.

There are so many reasons for our WBBL players to love being part of the Strikers and the team say the best bits are friendship and playing for their city.

“I love playing for the Strikers because it’s the best colour in the league and it really brings out my eyes,” Alex laughs. “And I get to play with my best friends in the whole wide world.”

“Playing for the Strikers means the world to me. It’s my favourite time of the year and I get to play for my hometown team. I have formed some lifelong friendships playing for the Strikers,” says Tahlia.

Tabatha says: “To me, to play for the Strikers is everything. It’s the epitome of the domestic level we have here in Australia and it’s a direct funnel into the T20 side for Australia. To get into the Strikers, it’s a stepping-stone to get into that team.”

And if you know any girls keen to get into cricket, the best way to do it, according to the Strikers women is to just play – oh, and come to the WBBL games, of course!

“For aspiring cricketers, stay in the backyard as long as you can. The amount of hours you put in there with your brother or sister, one day you might be out on Adelaide Oval playing as well. It’s not just the cricket; it’s all about the friendships you make along the way. I have long lasting friendships with pretty much all the girls I meet throughout my journey in cricket,” says Katelyn.

So, get along to family friendly Fantastic Friday on December 21 and the double-header on Sunday December 23 and cheer on your Adelaide Strikers!