Sophie Day (right) has been the big improver for the Melbourne Stars (Photo: Cricket Australia)
An off-season of reflection has produced the career-best season so far for Melbourne Stars spinner Sophie Day.
25-year-old Melbourne Stars mainstay Sophie Day has taken 19 wickets from 10 matches, including her career-best haul of five wickets against the Sydney Sixers earlier this month.
She spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of her 50th Women’s Big Bash League game where she outlined how her desire to get better resulted in her leading wicket-taking form.
“I reflected on the last few seasons and where I really wanted to improve from and upscale in my game,” Day said.
“I looked at other left-arm spinners that are playing currently in the WBBL and they are people that I really look up to like Sophie Molineux for the Renegades, Jess Jonassen for Brisbane Heat and Sophie Ecclestone from the Sydney Sixers.
“They are people that bowled in all facets of the game and it’s an area I really wanted to include [in my game]. Things like the [power] surge and powerplay overs are something that I really tried to work on in my pre-season to enable me to add that and upscale in that way.”
She further elaborated on the role that Melbourne Stars bowling coach Craig Howard has had in bringing assisting her to reach her best form.
“Craig [Howard] has been incredible,” she said.
“I sat down with him in the café and had a coffee with him and we wrote down every area that I can improve and how I can contribute more to the team. Having him on board with the Stars has been incredible.”
Day explained what it has meant to be a part of the Stars for the last four seasons ahead of her milestone match on Friday afternoon.
“I’ve really enjoyed being around the Stars,” she said.
“The Stars have given me every opportunity from the get-go, from my first season I played round one when I came in and I’ve been backed by the Stars so it’s been an incredible journey for me.”
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Fresh off a four-run derby win against the Melbourne Renegades where Day took the important wicket of explosive batter Georgia Wareham, she described the feeling within the side after the win.
“It’s always nice [to win] the derby at [the] Junction Oval,” she said.
“It’s always very competitive. We know the Renegades girls well through state cricket, so it’s always nice to get one up [on them].
“It’s always a good game and it’s always a nice crowd out here. There’s just a little more to it so that’s exciting.
“We’ve got them at the MCG at the end of the season which I know personally, I’m very excited about.”
Currently sitting only above the Renegades on the WBBL|09 ladder, the Stars have won just three of their 10 matches this season. Day said despite their win and loss ratio, they can still make the season a winner with a strong finish.
“I think for us, this back end [of the season] is massively important and there is still a chance that we can make finals if things go our way,” she said.
“We really want to finish strong. I think we are a group that’s got heaps of talent and I don’t think we’ve lived up to that expectation and standard that I know we can, so this back end of the season is really important for us.”
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