UNREAL and lucky - they are the words Bathurst all-rounder Lisa Griffith has used to described her Women's Big Bash League experiences thus far and she hopes that continues this season.
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There has been speculation that Cricket Australia, which is working on a reduced budget, may have to cut WBBL games this coming summer as a way to lower costs.
Griffith, who has played three seasons in the Twenty 20 format competition for Sydney Thunder, is unsure whether or not that will happen.
She just wants to see the WBBL continue to raise the profile of female cricketers across the country and build on the success it has already enjoyed.
Last summer when the WBBL was staged as a standalone competition instead of running in conjunction with the men's Big Bash League, the December finals were the highest-rated sporting event on television that weekend.
"It's been unreal, we've been so lucky," Griffith, who has taken 11 wickets across her 29 WBBL matches said
"It will be interesting to see this year what happens with the Big Bash, whether we align back with the men. I think it will all depend on what the next few months look like.
"The standalone tournament was massive last year to gain some traction and have the women on their own stage."
Griffith is hopeful that the league will run in full given Cricket Australia acknowledges the rising profile of the women's game. She also hopes that sports fans who have had little to watch during the COVID-19 pandemic will support the WBBL once it starts.
"It might be a bit of a silver lining, it might just be that come the end of this year, we might be the sport that everyone is looking forward to watching," she said.
"I'm really grateful that Australia have identified that we have made some real inroads in the last few years with the sport and the traction it has gained.
"So they've said they will do everything they can to keep that going.
"You never know what is going to happen, but I'm super keen for the Big Bash."
Meanwhile away from the cricket field, Griffith has been part of Thunder's partnership with OzHarvest to help Australians faced with food insecurity.
Across the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, the club has provided 128,637 meals for those in need.
"I'm really proud and honoured to be part of a club at the Sydney Thunder that helps give back to the community, helps people out in need," she said.
"I just think that's really special."