England spinner Sarah Glenn will link up with the injury-hit Heat as they look to avoid a winless WBBL|11
Brisbane Heat’s hopes of avoiding an unwanted piece of Weber WBBL history have been cruelled by further injuries, with experienced pair Grace Harris and Nicola Hancock to miss their last two games of the season.
Harris has been ruled out after splitting the webbing between her thumb and forefinger while fielding off her own bowling in Sunday’s loss to the Adelaide Strikers, an injury which required three stitches in her hand.
Brisbane Heat squad v Thunder: Charli Knott (c), Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry, Lucy Bourke, Sianna Ginger, Sarah Glenn, Lucy Hamilton, Chinelle Henry, Annie O’Neil, Georgia Redmayne, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mikayla Wrigley, Catherine White
Hancock sustained a low-grade hamstring strain while batting in the same match, and will also miss Wednesday’s showdown with Sydney Thunder at Drummoyne Oval. The Heat’s final match of the season is against the Perth Scorchers at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
Harris and Hancock join Heat captain Jess Jonassen on the sidelines, after the spin-bowling allrounder successfully underwent shoulder surgery on Monday.
South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk has also departed the Heat as planned to return home ahead of the Proteas’ white-ball series against Ireland starting December 5, with England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn called in as a replacement.
The loss of Hancock and Harris further compound a difficult season for the Heat, who are winless eight matches into WBBL|11.
It has been a staggering change in fortunes for the club that finished runners-up in WBBL|09 and |10, and who had featured in seven consecutive finals series.
No team has ever gone winless in an entire WBBL season, with Sydney Thunder’s WBBL|08 tournament, which saw them win a single game alongside 10 losses and three washouts, the current poorest campaign.
Hancock’s absence means the Heat will hand a debut to an up-and-coming pace bowler against the Thunder, with uncapped quicks Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry and Catherine White all named in the 13-player squad.
White, 18, has been brought in as a local replacement player, having played for Queensland Country and the Queensland Under-19 team last summer.
Sydney Thunder squad v Heat: Phoebe Litchfield (c), Em Arlott, Sam Bates, Ella Briscoe, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Laura Harris, Shabnim Ismail, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson
The Thunder, who have swapped out Sri Lanka batter Chamari Athapaththu for England allrounder Em Arlott for Wednesday’s game, will also be playing for a consolation win.
Their hopes of staying alive in WBBL|11 rely on a washout in the Tuesday night game between Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades at the WACA Ground, but with no rain forecast, their last mathematical chance of advancing will slip away.
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
HUR
9
7
2
0
0
0.662
0
14
2
STA
9
5
3
0
1
0.863
0
11
3
SIX
8
5
2
0
1
-0.157
0
11
4
SCO
9
5
4
0
0
-0.189
0
10
5
STR
8
3
3
0
2
0.097
0
8
6
REN
9
4
5
0
0
-0.067
0
8
7
THU
8
2
5
0
1
-0.52
0
5
8
HEA
8
0
7
0
1
-0.911
0
1
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
