Massive paydays for two Aussie stars in WPL bonanza

Sutherland was the big winner on Saturday after surprisingly being among the players released by Gujarat earlier this year.

But it didn’t stop the interest in the 22-year-old, with the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians starting a bidding war on the Victorian.

Sutherland was eventually sold to the Capitals for approximately AU$364,000, five times her base price. It makes her the equal-second most valuable Australian in the competition, alongside Beth Mooney.

The pair are only behind Ash Gardner who was sold for more than AU$580,000 at last year’s auction and retained by Gujarat.

Sutherland will link up at the Capitals with former Australian captain Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen and Laura Harris, as well as her Melbourne Stars teammate Alice Capsey.

Litchfield was the first name drawn at this year’s WPL Auction and also sparked a bidding frenzy following her breakout form in T20 cricket.

Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz were both eager to obtain the left-hander’s services, however, it was the Giants who eventually won out with a final bid of approximately AU$182,000.

The 20-year-old will form part of a damaging top order that includes Gardner, Mooney and South African captain Laura Wolvaardt.

Georgia Wareham was another Aussie who lucked out in the first session of the auction, earning a $73,000 contract at the Royal Challengers Bangalore where she will reunite with Ellyse Perry.

It was a strong start for the Australian contingent, with only Naomi Stalenberg missing out on a deal in the first session of bidding.

Former Irish all-rounder Kim Garth and the leg spin duo of Amanda-Jade Wellington and Alana King all went unsold in the first round of capped bidding.

Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu was a player tipped to attract plenty of interest at this year’s auction after being named the WBBL09 player of the tournament. However, she failed to garner any bids and could miss out on the WPL for another year.