IT WAS hard to wipe the smile off the face of young Melbourne Renegades’ star Milly Illingworth after her side clinched its first Women’s Big Bash League title yesterday at the MCG.

“It’s so hard to explain this sort of feeling,” Illingworth explained.

“We did our very best from the get go and I think we always had the belief that we could do it  so  I’m just so proud of this group and I’m so proud of Soph [Molineux] and Georgia [Wareham].”

It has been a big year for Illingworth, who crossed to the Renegades this year from the team’s crosstown rivals in the Melbourne Stars.

“It’s been amazing. I’ve said it before, it’s like I’ve made some of the best friends here and I’ve spent every day with them all, and it’s not on purpose, it’s just because we love each other’s company,” Illingworth said joyfully, describing her first year at the Renegades.  

“So we’ve been all hanging out together for the last six weeks, it’s been just so much fun and it’s been such an amazing ride.”

WBBL10 could have been very different for Illingworth had she not made the move across from the Stars for better bowling opportunities, with the green half of Melbourne finishing dead last on the ladder this season.

“I guess I’m so lucky that they wanted to take me on board, and I was lucky last year that I got the opportunity I did at the Stars, they’ve got such an amazing bowling line up,” Illingworth said. “I’m just so lucky that the Renegades have backed me to do me and it’s been one of the best years of my life.”

Winning the title is a big achievement in itself, let alone for someone as young as the fiery quick, who is only 19 years old.

“It’s still sort of, still sinking in, definitely,” Illingworth said with a laugh.

“But I hope that there’s more to come with this group and we’re building something really special and I hope that over the next couple of years we can keep doing what we’re doing.”

In the final the Renegades did not have the best of innings with the bat, but then came out and shone in the field.

Illingworth said that the message heading into the side’s fielding innings was a pretty simple one.

“I think it was just to give it our all,” Illingworth said.

“It was going to be our last time out in the field together, and we knew that there was a bit of rain coming as well so we didn’t want to die wondering. That was just the message that we had to go as hard as possible and just keep doing what we’ve been doing the past 10 games.”

Illingworth also said that the plan did not really change when the rain delay came and shortened their fielding innings to only 12 overs.

“No, I think it was still to be as attacking as possible,” Illingworth said.

“Wickets were key still, especially with rain around. I think we stuck to our defensive plans and we evolved beautifully. So, I’m really happy with everyone in the group and everyone should be so, so proud of themselves.”