Brisbane Heat produced one of the most one-sided results in Women’s Big Bash League history on Saturday, thrashing defending champions Hobart Hurricanes by 10 wickets with a staggering 86 balls to spare at Bellerive Oval.
After bowling the Hurricanes out for just 86 in 17.5 overs, the Heat needed only 5.4 overs to race to 88 without loss. It was the biggest win by balls remaining in WBBL history and the fastest successful run chase the competition has seen, with the Heat batting for just 23 minutes and 30 seconds.
Grace Harris led the demolition with an unbeaten 52 from 22 balls, including eight fours and two sixes — the fourth-fastest fifty in WBBL history. Charli Knott provided equally explosive support with 34 not out from 12 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes, as the pair combined for 12 fours and four sixes. The Hurricanes, by contrast, managed just six boundaries in their entire innings.
Brisbane’s 62-run powerplay set a new competition record, and the openers put the result beyond doubt almost immediately after the Hurricanes’ batting collapse. Knott also contributed with the ball, taking 1 for 16, while Sianna Ginger produced one of the balls of the match to clean up Chinelle Henry. The unbroken opening stand of 88 came off just 34 balls, and it was the fastest win overall from a non-rain-affected game with the full allocation of overs available to both teams.
The win was Brisbane’s fourth in a row and their fourth victory in six matches this season, consolidating third place on the ladder. It is a remarkable turnaround for a side that went 706 days without a WBBL win before this season, and the Heat now look every bit a title contender.
The scale of the win was underlined by the boundary count: the Hurricanes managed just six boundaries in their entire innings, while Harris and Knott struck 16 between them in a little over five overs. Hobart’s bowlers had no answer once Harris found her range, and the match was effectively over inside the powerplay.
Hobart, meanwhile, remain winless and their title defence is in tatters. The defending champions were outplayed in every department, and they will need a rapid response to salvage anything from their campaign. Brisbane next face the Sydney Thunder at Allan Border Field on Thursday, with their winning streak — and their new-found aura — firmly intact.
Related:
Charli Knott’s Maiden Hundred Ends Brisbane Heat’s 706-Day Wait For A WBBL Win
Mooney’s Unbeaten 80 And King’s Four-For Keep Scorchers Perfect As Thunder Suffer First WBBL Defeat
