The Perth Scorchers have sent a strong message to their Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) rivals, confirming the re-signing of off-spinning ace Lilly Mills and stylish wicketkeeper-batter Maddy Darke ahead of the WBBL|11, scheduled from November 9 to December 13, 2025. With both stars entering the new season at the peak of their powers, Scorchers fans can look forward to fireworks and a genuine tilt at another WBBL title.
The Perth Scorchers, led by skipper Sophie Devine, finished 5th on the points table with 0 points from 10 games, including 4 victories, 5 defeats and a tied game in their campaign in the previous edition of the tournament.
Maddy Darke: The Rising Star Ready to Shine for the Scorchers Yet Again
If Mills is the glue in the Scorchers’ attack, Maddy Darke is fast becoming their anchor at the top of the order. Since joining from the Stars and Sixers ahead of WBBL 08, Darke has flourished in Perth colours. An elegant right-hander and polished keeper, Darke showed her class for Australia A with an unbeaten century last year, matching Mills in representing Western Australia (WA) with distinction.
Her WNCL campaign for WA in 2025 was nothing short of sensational, 543 runs at an average of 49.36 and a strike rate of 77.68, including five polished half-centuries, making her the leading run-scorer for her side. With 36 WBBL appearances, scoring 238 runs in 25 innings and a growing reputation for turning potential into performance, Darke looms as a vital cog in the Scorchers’ title ambitions.
Maddy Darke expressed her excitement after re-signing with the Scorchers for another season in the orange. “I’m very excited to be extending with the Scorchers, I love being able to play my cricket here in Perth. We’ve got a great group of people over here in the West, and I’m excited to have another season with this bunch. I’m especially keen to play more games at the WACA Ground. It’s a great wicket and the atmosphere we get for our home games is the best going around.”
Lilly Mills: The Off-Spin Supremacy Continues for the Scorchers
Lilly Mills’ return marks the continuation of a glittering journey in orange. Now embarking on her fifth season with the Scorchers, the 24-year-old is already seventh on the club’s all-time WBBL wicket-takers’ list, boasting 41 wickets at a miserly average of 19.17 in 47 matches. Mills initially made her mark with a one-off appearance for Brisbane Heat in WBBL 05 before joining the Scorchers in WBBL 07, where she featured in every match of their victorious title run.
A multi-dimensional cricketer, Mills’s prowess is not confined to her bowling. Her excellent fielding and useful lower-order contributions make her a true asset, as evidenced by her Australia A selection against India A last summer. Her most recent domestic season confirmed her class, 19 wickets at 28 apiece in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL), including a match-winning five-wicket haul, underlining her credentials as one of the league’s premier spinners. She ended the season as the 2nd highest wicket-taker for her side in the tournament.
Lilly Mills responds after re-signing with the club for another season. “I’m stoked to be sticking around the Scorchers for another season. The group we have currently is really building something, and I’m excited to be part of it. It’s always so fun playing at the Furnace and in front of our fans, and I’m looking forward to walking out again this season and feeling their support. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and helping bring home another piece of silverware.”
Both Mills and Darke have recently claimed the WA Cricket Female Rising Star award, a clear sign of their trajectory and the faith the club has placed in their talents. Their re-signings not only bring stability but also inject proven match-winning ability into a squad already brimming with star quality, including Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney, and Alana King.
With three local spots still open, the Scorchers’ WBBL 11 roster is shaping up as one of the most balanced and exciting in the competition.
Perth Scorchers WBBL 11 Squad So Far:
Chloe Ainsworth, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Alana King, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Paige Scholfield, Chloe Tryon
(Quotes sourced from Perth Scorchers Press Release)
