WBBL Season 10 (2024-25): Melbourne Renegades Win Maiden Title, Hayley Matthews Stars With 69 and 2 Wickets

Melbourne Renegades won their first Women's Big Bash League title on 1 December 2024, defeating Brisbane Heat by 7 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-affected final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Hayley Matthews — the West Indies captain and Renegades' overseas signing — was Player of the Match with an innings of 69 off 61 balls and bowling figures of 2/24. The Renegades' maiden title came after years of near-misses and completed a significant milestone for women's cricket at the MCG — one of the sport's most iconic venues hosting a WBBL decider.

Hayley Matthews: 69, 2 Wickets, Match-Winner

Hayley Matthews' contribution to the WBBL Season 10 final exemplified why she is regarded as the most complete all-rounder in women's T20 cricket. Her 69 off 61 balls gave the Renegades' innings a platform; her 2/24 from her bowling allocation restricted Brisbane Heat's chase in the critical middle overs. Matthews — who also serves as the West Indies women's T20I captain — combines the ability to open the batting with powerful strokeplay against both pace and spin, with economical off-spin bowling that disrupts batting rhythm. At the MCG, against a Brisbane Heat side that had performed strongly across the WBBL season, her all-round contribution was decisive.

Joint Player of the Tournament: Perry and Jonassen

For the first time in WBBL history, the Player of the Tournament award was shared: Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers) and Jess Jonassen (Brisbane Heat) both received 25 votes — exactly tied. Perry, widely considered the greatest women's cricketer of her generation, was also the top run-scorer of the season with 424 runs. Jonassen, Queensland's left-arm spinner and Australia's most experienced women's slow bowler, was the standout bowling figure for Brisbane Heat as they reached the final. The joint award reflected a genuine split in the voting: both players had dominant individual seasons despite neither winning the title.

WBBL Season 10 in the Context of the Summer

WBBL Season 10 ran October–December 2024, with the final at the MCG in early December. The following WBBL season (Season 11, 2025-26) produced another first-time winner: Hobart Hurricanes beat Perth Scorchers in their final in December 2025. The back-to-back seasons of first-time title winners — Melbourne Renegades in Season 10 and Hobart Hurricanes in Season 11 — reflect the competitive balance of WBBL: no team has dominated the competition in the way Perth Scorchers have dominated the men's BBL, and the spread of titles across different franchises is a sign of genuine depth across all eight clubs.