Lisa Keightley Extends Stay at Sydney Thunder With New Two-Year Deal

Sydney Thunder have some good news to celebrate. They have locked in one of the most respected coaches in women’s cricket for two more years.

Lisa Keightley has signed a contract extension with the WBBL side until the end of 2027. She has been with the club for the past three seasons. In that time, she took the team to the playoffs twice, the eliminator in 2023 and the challenger in 2024. Last season was a bit tougher, with a seventh-place finish.

Lisa’s locked in 🔒⚡️

Sydney Thunder are delighted to announce Lisa Keightley has re-signed as WBBL Head Coach for a further two seasons. pic.twitter.com/UZxpbbJnqr

— Sydney Thunder (@ThunderBBL) June 22, 2026

Keightley knows her job well. She has coached teams all over the world. Right now, she is also in charge of Mumbai Indians in the WPL and MI London in the women’s Hundred. Her resume includes coaching England, Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, Perth Scorchers, and Delhi Capitals. She even won the Women’s Hundred title in 2025 with Northern Superchargers.

“I’m really excited to be staying with Sydney Thunder for another two years,” Keightley said. She believes the team has the talent to win titles. She pointed to players like Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll, who have been in top form for Australia. She also mentioned Tahlia Wilson, who made her international debut after a strong season, and young players like Lucy Finn who showed promise in their debut year.

Keightley admitted last season was disappointing but said the team has much more to offer. “We know we have a much better performance in us, and we will be pushing ourselves to get back into genuine contention,” she added.

Thunder General Manager Trent Copeland made it clear why the club wanted to keep her. “Lisa is a genuine legend of women’s cricket, and we couldn’t be happier that she’s sticking with us,” he said. He also highlighted how important she is for developing young stars like Litchfield.

With Keightley staying on, Thunder fans have reason to hope. The pieces are in place. Now, the team just has to deliver.

                                               

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