The enormous expectation surrounding Perth’s star-studded new opening duo has lived up to the hype, with Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine named in the Women’s Big Bash team of the tournament.

New captain Devine also took out the competition’s Most Valuable player award for a second consecutive year.

Strike bowler Taneale Peschel was also rewarded for her breakout campaign, named in the league’s best XI for her 13 wickets at less than six runs per over despite regularly bowling difficult overs.

Mooney finished the regular season as the league’s leading run-scorer with 524 at an average of 58, while Devine was ten runs behind Meg Lanning with 448 at 56.

Devine’s MVP achievement is made more impressive by the fact she played two less games than her competitors due to a back injury.

Former Heat opener Mooney admitted the commentary surrounding the pair’s partnership got ‘a little bit annoying’ but is pleased to see it bear fruit, as was widely expected.

“What’s really impressed me is, when you jump ship to another team, there’s always a little bit of anxiety around whether you can perform at the same level as you did in the team before,” Mooney said.

“To just come out there and do that and perform with freedom and play with someone like Sophie Divine, who’s been hitting the ball tremendously well, has been a real godsend for me and made me sort of enjoy my cricket a bit more during the Big Bash.

“I tend to not get a lot of sleep during this time of the year but I’ve got a little bit more than usual.”

The wicket-keeper is bullish the Scorchers can find multiple ways to get the better of the ladder-leading Stars in tonight’s semi-final.

“Their opening partnership is as daunting as ours, with Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani at the top, so it’s about trying to take as many early wickets as possible and really restrict them with their runs,” she said.

“I feel like their bowling line-up hasn’t been put under a lot of pump during this tournament, so I feel there’s different ways we can expose their line up and make sure we get ourselves in a position to take the game on.”