Perth Scorchers Sign Indonesia's Ni Made Putri Suwandewi for WBBL Season

The Perth Scorchers have made an exciting addition to their squad by signing Indonesia's Ni Made Putri Suwandewi, known for her exceptional bowling skills, particularly her inswinger and clever slower ball. Suwandewi's performance caught the attention of Scorchers' women's coach Becky Grundy and high-performance manager Kade Harvey during their visit to Bali earlier this year.

Under WBBL regulations, clubs are permitted to sign players from Associate nations as rookies outside the main 15-player squad. The 26-year-old Suwandewi has been a standout performer for Indonesia since her international debut in 2019, claiming 49 wickets in 40 WT20Is at an impressive average of 8.18. Notably, her career economy rate of 2.97 is the best in the history of women's T20I cricket.

Kade Harvey highlighted Suwandewi's capabilities, stating, "She bowls a natural inswinger but has excellent variety with a good slower ball and can hit the yorkers. She's quite short but a really skilful bowler." After arriving in Perth on Saturday, Suwandewi made a strong impression during training sessions, with Harvey expressing confidence in her potential to contribute significantly to the team's success.

The Scorchers are preparing for the season while managing the absence of several international players at different times. Harvey noted that this presented a great opportunity to utilize the Associate rookie rule effectively. "We wouldn't have pursued this if we didn't believe she could contribute," he added.

Despite cricket being a minor sport in Indonesia, encouraging progress has been made, with the women's team currently ranked 21st in T20Is. Harvey remarked on the ambitions of the Indonesian team, saying, "They want to be a top 10 team in the world. They have a clear goal, and we’re hoping to facilitate a shift in their high-performance environment to help them get there."

The Scorchers will kick off their WBBL season on October 27 against the Melbourne Stars at the WACA, and fans will be eager to see how Suwandewi performs in her new role.