There was no need for fireworks as the WBBL’s fourth edition kicked off in Melbourne; the likes of Lee and Healy lit things up well enough on their own

Alex Malcolm in Melbourne01-Dec-2018There was no need for fireworks on the opening day of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season 4.South Africa batsman Lizelle Lee provided them with a stunning unbeaten century from just 56 balls as the Melbourne Stars upset the highly-fancied defending champions Sydney Sixers.Lee’s incredible batting, rather than an actual pyrotechnics display, spoke volumes for the tone that has been struck by the WBBL as its fourth season got underway in Melbourne.While the men’s BBL can look like a nightly rock concert at times, the WBBL is a reflection of Cricket Australia’s vision, a family friendly event for everyone.The revamped Junction Oval in Melbourne was the perfect setting. While Cricket Australia has an aim of filling the 100,000-seat MCG for a women’s match at the 2020 T20 World Cup, they have not over-reached by hosting the WBBL opener in the cavernous cauldron.The Junction provided grass banks for bouncy castles and family picnics, heritage-listed stands for a pure cricket experience, as well as brand new amenities like Cricket Victoria’s indoor facility to house a kids’ cricket zone.On the field, the cricket was high class. Lee’s blistering century signalled the importance of international stars to the tournament.Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy, who was the Player of the Tournament at the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, showed why they are two of the best and most popular players in Australia with sublime half-centuries in a losing cause.Perth Scorchers won the opening match of the double-header, and Australia batsman Elyse Villani was named Player of the Match for a fine half-century that was the bedrock of tricky chase. But the depth of Australian domestic women’s cricket was on display as Lauren Ebsary and Chloe Piparo played two sensational cameos – worth 40 and 26 respectively – to guide the Scorchers home.The Hobart Hurricanes looked significantly depleted on paper after West Indies star Hayley Matthews broke her toe at training on Friday. But 20-year-old Tasmanian Erin Fazackerley showed the talent coming through, clubbing 38 from 16 balls after getting off the mark with a six. Georgia Redmayne, meanwhile, produced an excellent 49 from 48 to get the Hurricanes up to a competitive 143 for 7.The depth of talent has not gone unnoticed and there are concerns that Australian women’s cricket may leave the rest of the world behind due to CA’s investment in the women’s game. Besides, there is real regret that domestic players in many other countries are unable to train and play to the same standard without the same level of remuneration that allowed women to become full-time professionals.While so many of Australia’s older players have had to forge a path playing juniors with boys, the visibility of the women’s game via the WBBL and its new free-to-air broadcast partner Channel Seven will give Australia’s future female players no such issues.But that’s not to say the broadcast deal is perfect. Channel Seven opted to showcase the opening day of the WBBL on one of its secondary channels, with the men’s Australian PGA Golf Championship taking precedence on the main channel over the weekend. The complexity of the digital streaming rights deal also provides challenges for those looking to watch all games on that platform.But the aim of visibility has certainly been achieved and de-coupling both the opening weekend and the finals from the men’s internationals and the BBL (the final itself will be a stand-alone event, and will be played on Australia Day before the resumption of the Brisbane day-night Test) has been a further step to embed the tournament in Australia’s psyche.Watching Healy hit spinners inside-out over cover with class and ease of any player on the planet is enough to inspire any youngster, male or female, to take up the game.While Cricket Australia’s marketing team kicked an own goal with the men’s team’s “elite honesty”, the women’s mantra – from the World T20 – of “#WatchMe” is absolutely on point.You can, and you should.