Stafanie Taylor had earlier played a pivotal part in the title winning campaign by Sydney Thunder in the inaugural WBBL season © Getty

Adelaide Strikers have beefed up their squad ahead of the fifth season of WBBL with experience - snapping up West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor and England's Lauren Winfield. The duo will share the third overseas player's role in the side for the upcoming season, with Taylor being available for the first two and the last two games - as well as the finals (provided Adelaide qualify) - while Winfield will play in the games that Taylor doesn't.

Taylor arrives for the Strikers with oodles of experience - even so in the T20 tournament. She was part of the Sydney Thunder's title-winning side in the inaugural season and only last year became one of the four players of their roster to go past 1000 WBBL runs. The off-spinner also picked 19 wickets in the 2018 season, the most for Thunder.

Taylor, West Indies' batting mainstay and the team's leading run-getter in both the limited-overs format, expressed her excitement of joining up with the Strikers.

"I'm very much excited about WBBL (this year), especially in a new environment," said Taylor, who is the leading run-scorer for West Indies in both formats of the game. I don't know much about the team, but I am mostly looking forward to playing alongside Suzie (Bates) and Sophie (Devine). And my favourite colour is blue," Taylor said.

The England international who will share game time with Taylor - Winfield - also comes with rich T20I success. She recently finished as England's leading run-getter in the T20I leg of the Ashes, and has also led the Yorkshire Diamonds in the Women's Super League - the women's T20 tournament in England. Winfield, a very exciting opening batter with a 50-over World Cup triumph on her glowing CV, talked up the prospect of playing at a club with a 'fantastic culture' and the advantage it presents - of not having to face Megan Schutt.

"Adelaide has always looked like a club with a fantastic culture, both in the women's and the men's. It will certainly be nice to play alongside Megan Schutt rather than having to face her hooping in-swingers! Joining a new team is always exciting and I can't wait to get stuck in. I just hope to score as many runs as I can, contribute to the group and ensure we make the finals," Winfield said.

For a side that's yet to inaugurate its trophy cabinet, the two new recruits will be crucial. Taylor and Winfield will not just bring an overall spike in the batting and bowling quotient of the side but also enhance them with their immense leadership skills. Expectedly, the SACA General Manager, High Performance, Tim Nielsen was chuffed.

"Stafanie and Lauren are welcome additions to the Strikers and will add significant depth to our batting and bowling ranks. Both have impressive playing histories and we're thrilled to attract international players of such high caliber to Adelaide; it really speaks volumes of the environment that we've created here. Both players have significant leadership experience that will be valued on and off the field, particularly in continuing to develop some of our younger local players," Nielsen said.

Strikers will kick-off the new season against Melbourne Renegades at home on October 19.