Allrounder Ella Hayward has signed with the Tasmanian Tigers ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The 22-year-old joins the Tigers after six seasons with Victoria, most recently as co-vice-captain, in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL).
Hayward, one of four five new faces to the Tigers, joins after being awarded the Sharon Tredrea Award for Victoria's Player of the Season after leading the state in both run-scoring and wicket-taking during the 2024/25 campaign.
The talented off-spinning allrounder scored 217 runs at 18.08 in last season's WNCL competition while taking 15 wickets at 28.13.
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A former Australian Under 19 representative, Hayward also brings 40 matches of Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) experience to the Tigers after six years with the Melbourne Renegades.
More recently the Jawoyn woman was instrumental in Victoria claiming its inaugural National Indigenous Cricket Championships women's title in Mackay last month.
Throughout the T20 tournament Hayward compiled 181 runs at 60.33 to finish second in tournament scoring behind Emma Manix-Geeves. She also finished second in bowling with five wickets at 12.8.
Hayward, alongside Manix-Geeves, was a member of the Australian Women's Indigenous squad to tour Papua New Guinea for last year's PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational.
She joins Tasmania on a full contract alongside English all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards, Kate Pelle (NSW), Caity Mair (QLD), and rookie contracted Tasmanian teenager Mia Barwick.
Hayward joins Tasmania after Indigenous wicketkeeper-batter Emma Manix-Geeves left the Tigers for New South Wales.
