Adelaide Strikers' bid for an unprecedented three-peat have been further boosted by retaining two-time title winner and decorated international Laura Wolvaardt and Irish allrounder Orla Prendergast in today's Weber WBBL draft.
Wolvaardt, who has been a star in blue for the past four seasons, was retained in Round One of the Draft as the Strikers Platinum player.
The South Africa women's captain is one of the world's foremost T20 top-order batters and forged an outstanding first-wicket opening partnership with Katie Mack last summer that proved crucial in the Strikers' WBBL|09 title defence.
Wolvaardt and Mack posted the season's highest WBBL stand of 135 (from 85 balls faced) in the season-opening demolition of Melbourne Stars at Karen Rolton Oval last October.
Wolvaardt went on to finish WBBL|09 with 402 runs at 30.92 (strike rate 108.64) which was second only to Mack's 452 runs at 30.13 for the Strikers as they completed successive grand final wins.
That takes Wolvaardt's tally in 62 appearances for the Strikers to 1533 runs including seven half centuries.
Her value was underscored during the Strikers' surge to last year's finals when she top-scored with an unbeaten 70 against Sydney Thunder followed by 73 in the final minor round game against Hobart Hurricanes five days later as the reigning champions secured top spot.
Wolvaardt's return for WBBL|10 further strengthens the Strikers' top-order batting which also includes Mack, gun Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath and star India opener Smriti Mandhana who was announced as a pre-draft signing last month.
Irish allrounder Orla Prendergast will also join to the squad for WBBL|10 after she was selected in the fourth round of the WBBL draft.
In 2019, Prendergast made her T20I debut for Ireland, and to date has scored over 1000 runs and boasts a strike rate of 117.23. She is no stranger to all formats of white-ball cricket, recently scoring 122no against Sri Lanka in an WODI with bowling figures of 3/25.
In April 2023, Prendergast signed with Western Storm and scored an inspiring 115 on debut against Northwest Thunder in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Prendergast’s ability to quickly adapt to different conditions, her strong strike rate and experience in white-ball cricket will no doubt contribute significantly to the Strikers pursuit of a third-straight WBBL championship.
The Strikers start their championship defence with a blockbuster re-match of last season's grand final against the Heat as part of a double-header at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, October 27.