By Elliot Stevenson
The inclusion of Kingborough has created a new look to the 2025-26 Women’s Cricket Tasmania Premier League (CTPL) season which begins this weekend. The Knights re-enter the 1st Grade competition under the leadership of coach Emily Divin and with an international flavour to their recruiting. They have also picked up new Tasmanian Tigers contracted player, very impressive youngster Sara Kennedy.
Shelby Leonard and Josie Rose return to Kingborough from last season’s Kookaburra Cup victors North Hobart to add significant 1st Grade experience. The Demons haven’t been inactive in the off season either, having recruited former Raiders all-rounder Julia Cavanough to the TCA. Cavanough will coach North Hobart, while also playing an important role with both bat and ball.
Clarence has continued its theme of youth heading into a season where a premiership is not off the cards. Led by new coach Jeff Hemming, the Roos have bolstered their squad with the additions of Ailsa Smith and Tanja Lee, while retaining much of their team from last season. A positive finish to the year is bound to give Hemming much to work with as the Roos aim to challenge for a title.
The Greater Northern Raiders have secured perhaps the biggest signing of the offseason, bringing in new Tasmanian Tiger Courtney Sippel. Sippel has played both WNCL and WBBL and is a major inclusion for a team that lost two grand finals last season. The Raiders have also added Ashlee Scott and Lexi Mohr as they search for that elusive premiership that has evaded them since 2022-23.
New Town will have to deal with the loss of a number of departing players in order to defend its T20 crown in season 2025-26. A massive nine players have left the club in the offseason, with just three joining so far. It means a lot of responsibility falls on the shoulders of captain Amy Smith but also gives opportunities to those on the edges of the team last year.
Ashlee Kennedy and Makenzie Giffard are two potential improvers that coach Nathan Wegman is looking forward to watching the progression of.
Round 1 of the Women’s CTPL season begins this weekend with a quartet of T20s.
Clarence play North Hobart twice at Kangaroo Bay and Kingborough return to the competition with a double header against New Town at the Twin Ovals. Greater Northern Raiders have the bye.
CLARENCE
Last Season: 4th T20, 4th Kookaburra Cup.
Additions: Ailsa Smith [ACT], Tanja Lee [New Town]
Losses: Nil
Captain: Sophia Di Venuto
Coach: Jeff Hemming
Coach’s Comments: “The squad has hit the ground running. Training numbers have been excellent, and there’s already a strong sense of cohesion building early in pre-season. With natural talent spread across the group, the players are clearly beginning to gel as a unit.
“Sophia Di Venuto and Kate Sherriff return from a dominant winter campaign in the Northern Territory and look primed for big seasons. The return of Michaela Kirk from the UK has everyone excited. Her experience and quality will provide a huge boost for the squad heading into the season. Combined with the energy of our new additions, and the continued development of younger players, Clarence is well-placed for an exciting 2025/26 campaign.”
Player to Watch: Jessica Ransley.
“She has been setting the standard at training. The commitment and intensity she’s brought suggest this could be a genuine breakout year,” coach Jeff Hemming said.
Ransley cemented her place in Clarence’s 1st Grade team last season and will be aiming to have an impact in all three facets of the game as Clarence strive for a premiership.
GREATER NORTHERN RAIDERS
Last Season: 2nd T20, 2nd Kookaburra Cup.
Additions: Courtney Sippel [Western Suburbs, QLD], Lexi Mohr [South Launceston], Ashlee Scott [New Town]
Losses: Julia Cavanough [North Hobart], Meg Radford [Not Playing], Ella Scoyler [Interstate]
Captain: Ava Curtis
Coach: Andrew Gower
Coach’s Comments: “Chloe Casey is continuing to improve. Alice McLauchlan had a good year last season and is likely to build on that form with bat and ball. Ava Curtis is now in Hobart full-time and I think we will see improvements in her all-round game.
“With the introduction of Courtney Sippel to the Raiders we believe we will again be a in a position to compete for some silverware over the coming season. Getting more games into our young players will continue to see them improve.”
Player to Watch: Courtney Sippel.
Signed by the Tasmania Tigers after a number of seasons playing for Queensland, Sippel brings a wealth of experience and excitement to a Raiders team aiming to get over the hump this season. She’s an effective left-arm fast bowler who has played WBBL for both the Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers and will join Ruth Johnston and Chloe Casey as part of a formidable bowling lineup.
KINGBOROUGH
Additions: Amy Gordon [UK], Sara Kennedy [Carlton, VIC], Shelby Leonard [North Hobart], Josie Rose [North Hobart], Imogen Hill [New Town]
Losses: Nil
Captain: TBC
Coach: Emily Divin
Coach’s Comments: “We are especially excited to have Amy Gordon and Sara Kennedy join us this year. Amy will be a valuable asset with bat and ball and Sara especially with the new ball and her recent experience with the Australian U19 team. We’re looking forward to welcoming them both into the Kingborough fold and being consistent strong performers for the Knights.
“Undoubtedly the newcomers and underdogs of the competition, we will be looking to be as competitive as we can and show why we deserve to be here. With only one contracted player on our list, we will no doubt be challenged by the experience of other clubs, but we will also have the opportunity to provide consistency and continuity with our playing group from week to week. Our regular playing group will be exposed to more opportunities and with many of our girls ready to step up, we’re looking forward to seeing the growth in our girls individually and as a group as we adjust to the new level of competition.”
Players to Watch: Alice Kelly and Asha Ratcliffe.
“Two of Kingborough’s homegrown players, they both have raw pace with the ball and hard hitting with the bat,” Kingborough coach Emily Divin said.
“They’ve waited a long time for the opportunity to showcase their skills in 1st Grade, and we can’t wait to watch them flourish.”
NEW TOWN
Last Season: T20 Premiers, 3rd Kookaburra Cup.
Additions: Jess Bohn [Dandenong, VIC], Angel Green [Glenorchy], Aaliyah Browning [Year Off]
Losses: Chloe Abel [QLD], Tilly Waddington [VIC], Erin Lawler [SCA], Imogen Hill [Kingborough], Bethany Lane [NSW], Kate Wilmot [West Indies], Jannilla Glasgow [West Indies], Ailsa Lister [Scotland], Tanja Lee [Clarence]
Captain: Amy Smith
Coach: Nathan Wegman
Coach’s Comments: “I think this season will be about getting games and experience into our younger players. We have lost a lot of experienced players, who have moved interstate or unable to come back to Hobart due to International commitments with the countries. I am enthused by the progress in the off-season of Ashlee Kennedy and Makenzie Giffard, they will get more opportunities and it will be interesting to see how they go.”
Player to Watch: Jess Bohn – The Gippsland product will slot right in at the top of the order for the reigning T20 premiers. Bohn has played in the Country Championships and the Junior Women’s Strike League for Victoria. Her keeping ability and competitiveness is sure to please coach Nathan Wegman. Bohn likes to hit the ball hard and has come to Tasmania to see where her cricket may take her.
NORTH HOBART
Last Season: 3rd T20, One-Day Premiers
Additions: Julia Cavanough [Greater Northern Raiders]
Losses: Shelby Leonard [Kingborough], Josie Rose [Kingborough]
Captain: Ella Marsh
Coach: Julia Cavanough
Coach’s Comments: “We’re feeling really confident about the season ahead. The group has been putting in the work right across the board, with our younger players showing great dedication and making noticeable improvements as a result.
“Our Cricket Tas pathways players have also been committing strongly to their training, which is fantastic to see. The blend of emerging talent and valuable experience gives us a strong balance, and as always, our senior players will be important in setting the tone and guiding the team in the direction that we would like to go.”
Player to Watch: Mackenzie Stewart.
A young star in the making, Stewart has played a handful of 1st Grade matches for the Demons in the past, but 2025-26 promises to be a breakout year for the all-rounder. She has represented Tasmania at both the Under 15 and Under 16 level and has plied her trade across club and school cricket over the past five or so years. Stewart made a monstrous 10 half-centuries last season in all competitions and now looks to take her form into the premier division in the state.
SEASON PREDICTIONS
One-Day Premiers: North Hobart.
The reigning Kookaburra Cup premiers are seemingly primed and ready for another shot at the competitions most prestigious trophy. The star power of batters such as Melodie Armstrong, Naomi Stalenberg and Nicola Carey may be enough for the Demons to go back-to-back. Plus, the recruitment of Julia Cavanough is an immense inclusion for the entire women’s setup at North Hobart.
T20 Premiers: Greater Northern Raiders.
The Raiders were the most consistent team in the competition last season but came away without silverware after losing two grand finals. Reigning Kim Fazackerley Medallist Emma Manix-Geeves is good enough to drag any side over the line, but she won’t be short of support. The arrival of Courtney Sippel, as well as the trio of Ruth Johnston, Hayley Silver-Holmes and captain Ava Curtis positions the Raiders to secure at least one premiership this season.
Kim Fazackerley Medallist: Emma Manix-Geeves.
The three-time winner of this award is surely the favourite again. She finished a whopping 234 runs ahead of teammate Ava Curtis as the competition’s leading run scorer last season, and at just 25 years old, will only continue to get better. She will be out of action as far as the CTPL is concerned for about a month across November and December due to duties with the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL but should play enough games to remain in contention for the award once again. Other contenders include Ava Curtis, Ella Marsh and Julia Cavanough.