WBBL in its five years has seen only three champions, and Brisbane Heat is one of those teams who have won consecutive tournaments. One of the successful sides with a winning percentage of 60 will once again look forward to maintaining their domination over the other teams. Apart from Melbourne Renegades, they have a win-loss ratio against all the other team, on the positive side. This time they will lead by Australian legend Jess Jonassen. Out of the 75 matches, they have played they have won 45 of it, taking the winning percentage to 60.
Total Match Played – 75, Won – 45, Lost – 30, NR – 0, Win% – 60
Women Big Bash League 05 Result: Champions
Under the leadership of Kirby Short, Brisbane Heats defended their title well. They topped the group with 10 victories out of 14 matches. In the semifinal, they defeated Renegades by 4 wickets and drowned Strikers in the final by the gutted innings of Beth Mooney. They claimed their 2nd title, winning the match by 6 wickets.
Best Result: Winners (2018-19, 2019-20)
Team Analysis of Women Big Bash League 06: Brisbane Heat, the two-time champion and the winner of the last season, surprised their supporters when they decided not to resign Beth Mooney, their all-time highest run-getter. Mooney has been instrumental in their two successful campaign and was the part of the team form the emancipation of the tournament. She has scored 2576 runs at a strike rate of 122 while she averaged 45.
Apart from that, she has been in tremendous form in the last couple of years. Fans must remember her gallant effort in the final of the last season. In the final between Strikers, chasing 162 to win, Mooney’s unbeaten 56 was not only against the Devine’s team but, she fought cramps and dehydration. As she has moved to Perth Scorchers, the team will surely miss her contribution.
Apart from Mooney, their skipper and Mooney’s opening partner Kirby Short too has taken retirement and, Heat will desperately expect the players to fill in the shoes left by two giants. Apart from these, their two hard-hitting all-rounders, Sammy Jo-Johnson too has moved to Sydney Thunders. Johnson was once of those 4 Heat’s bowlers who have taken more than 50 wickets in the tournament. Her medium pace in the dying overs turned out to be crucial while her hitting capabilities in the lower order made her the deadliest prospect in the shortest format of the game.
One of the most positive things about the Heats is they have more or less retain their side, from the previous season and the strong core makes them once again the contender for the trophy. Australian legendary spinner Jess Jonassen will be leading the side this time. She has taken 75 wickets at an average of 22 while scoring more than 1000 runs with a strike rate of 112, over the last five years. Her crafty left-arm spin has chocked the batters in the middle overs, and her batting has given assurance in the middle order.
Harris sisters, Laura and Grace, will once again play a major roll in the side this year. These liveliest cricketer on the field are going to person for the commentators for the team insights as well. Grace Harris has two WBBL hundreds in her tally and has recently broken the record for the highest individual score in women’s T20s in Australian club cricket against Sandgate-Redcliff. She has been in good touch for the Western Suburbs in Queensland Premier Cricket – Katherine Raymont Shield.
Having scored 76, 14,81, 27, and 67, she made a belligerent 162 from just 69 balls including, 17 fours and 12 sixes. Her knock broke the record for the highest individual score in women’s T20s in Australian club cricket. It took the Western Suburbs past 200 in 20 overs, and they eventually won the match by 30 runs. The 27-year-old has played 60 matches and amassed 1113 runs at an impressive strike rate of 137.41 including a couple of centuries. She has also taken 44 wickets giving away just 6.71 runs per over.
Delissa Kimmince who has been on the national side for a couple of years now, wit all her experiences in domestic and international cricket can turn out to be the x-factor for the team. She is the 2nd highest wicket-taker of the side and will play a more prominent role in the pace bowling unit in absence of Haidee Birkett. Georgia Redmayne will be playing for her third team in the tournament, after Hobert Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers.
She was included in the Perth Scorchers in last season, after three good seasons with Hurricanes, but didn’t have a good run with the bat. This left-hand batter will also play a huge role behind the wicket, in absence of Beth Mooney. Redmayne has hit unbeaten 113 against India A last year and will look to establish herself in the side.
Brisbane Heat has retained the two overseas recruits in form of Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr. While Green scored 309 runs last season, at the top of the order Amelia Kerr too had a good run in her first overseas league. This leg spinner has picked up 14 wickets in 16 matches while prominent batters failed to read her googlies. Her best figure 3/8 came against Sidney Sixers when she almost took a hattrick.
She bowled Hayley Silver-Holms, while Hicks and Sarah Aley were given LBW in consecutive balls. In the final ball of the over, her googly missed Stella Campbell’s off stump by a whisker. Even in the recent-concluded series between Australia and New Zealand, Kerr was one of the bowlers who was seen as a threat by the dominant Australian batters. Kerr will look forward to continuing her show in this series as well.
The inclusion of South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk will fill the void of Sammy Jo Jonshon. Klerk was included in the final XI of the Protea team for the Semi-Final in 2020 World T-20, in absence of Marizanne Kapp. Against the Australian batting line up, in the rain-affected match, she picked up No.1 T20 batter Beth Mooney, allrounder Ashleigh Gardner, and vice-captain Rachael Haynes, and ended the match with an impressive figure of 3/19.
Then this allrounder who see, Jacques Kallis as her hero, came to bat and scored 6 from 2 balls but South Africa fell 5 short from the margin. Klerk was tried various sports and Javelin turned out to be her first love but once she was selected for the 2017 World Cup, she shifted her focus to cricket.
This 20-year-old has scored 241 runs in 17 innings while she has 18 wickets under her belt ad she has been regarded as one of the prospects of the South African team. The newest inclusion in the strong South African squad in WBBL, has also impressed Heat head coach Ashley Noffke with her fearless attitude and bowling.
Heats has included promising youngsters in form of Georgia Voll and Charli Knott. Charli Knott was the part of the Governor-General XI that played India before the World Cup. Knott was captain of the Queensland Under-18 women’s team that finished second in the T20 competition and joint champions in the one-day component of the National titles in Hobart earlier this year. She has scored 214 runs in the U-18 Championship while took 13 wickets.
Her teammate Georgia Voll was the 2nd highest scorer in that tournament and the Player of the Tournament with 314 runs and 12 wickets. Voll, 16, is also the second leading runs-scorer in the Katherine Raymont Shield, hitting 709 runs at 59.08 with two centuries. Mikayla Hinkley, Lilly Mills, Courtney Sippel too have retained their place in the side. Sippel can turn out to be the rising star this season, looking at her performance in the U-18 Championship.
Strength:
Brisbane Heat more or less has maintained the same team with a solid core from the last season. Their batting will be boosted by the Redmayne, Klerk, and the Harris sisters while spin bowling will be dependent upon skipper Jonassen and Amelia Kerr. With Harris, Kimmince, and Nadine de Klerk their lower order looks deadliest who can win the match at a given moment. While the seam bowling department will be spearheaded by Nicola Hancock, all-rounders like Klerk and Kimmince will have to take a share the pace as well.
Weakness:
Without Mooney and Kirby Short, Heat’s opening look vulnerable. Though they have commendable middle order if they lose early wickets it will create pressure on the middle order and the new faces can find themselves in a hard position. Two of their top wicket-takers Sammy Jo Johnson and Jemma Barsby, are not included in the side. So, Heat’s bowling has a void that other players need to fill in to play the supporting role.
Key Players:
Jess Jonassen, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Delissa Kimmince, Nadine de Klerk, Amelia Kerr
WBBL 06 squads of Brisbane Heat:
Jess Jonassen (C, Aus), Delissa Kimmince (Aus), Nadine de Klerk (SA), Maddy Green (NZ), Amelia Kerr (NZ), Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Charli Knott, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippell, Georgia Voll
Ins: Nadine de Klerk, Nicola Hancock (Stars), Georgia Redmayne (Scorchers), Georgia Voll
Outs: Beth Mooney (Scorchers), Sammy-Jo Johnson (Thunder), Kirby Short (retired), Haidee Birkett
Expected XI:
1.Maddy Green, 2.Georgia Redmayne, 3.Georgia Voll, 4.Jess Jonassen, 5.Grace Harris, 6.Laura Harris, 7.Delissa Kimmince, 8.Nadine de Klerk, 9.Amelia Kerr, 10.Nicola Hancock, 11. Courtney Sippell
Fixtures:
October 25: v Scorchers, North Sydney Oval
October 26: v Renegades, Hurstville Oval
October 31: v Hurricanes, Showground Stadium
November 1: v Thunder, Showground Stadium
November 4: v Sixers, Blacktown International Sports Park
November 7: v Strikers, North Sydney Oval
November 8: v Stars, North Sydney Oval
November 11: v Thunder, Blacktown International Sports Park
November 14: v Strikers, Drummoyne Oval
November 15: v Hurricanes, Drummoyne Oval
November 17: v Sixers, Blacktown International Sports Park
November 18: v Scorchers, Hurstville Oval
November 21: v Stars, Drummoyne Oval
November 22: v Renegades, Drummoyne Oval
