Jess Jonassen took three wickets as the Melbourne Stars’ dismal campaign went on.
The Brisbane Heat defeated the Melbourne Stars by nine wickets in a rain-affected match to guarantee their place in the WBBL finals. At Allan Border Field in Brisbane, where the game was cut to seven overs each side, Heat’s bowlers tore through the Stars’ top-order hitters. Following a three-run loss of their first four wickets, the Stars managed just 46 for 6. Captain Jess Jonassen and Heat batswoman Lucy Hamilton each claimed two wickets in 10 balls. After cruising to 47 for 1 from 5.2 overs, the Heat are guaranteed to make it to the finals and have a good chance of overtaking the Sydney Thunder, who are currently leading the ladder. One point ahead of Thunder, they joined the Melbourne Renegades with 12 points.
Friday night’s start was postponed due to severe rain, and the last-place Stars scored 21 for 0 in their first two overs. However, Heat’s 18-year-old fast player Hamilton, who took 5 for 8 five days ago and demolished Stars, has once again emerged into a tormentor.
In three deliveries, she took two wickets, and captain Jonassen took two more in the following over.
Grace Harris set the tone for the Heat’s run chase by hitting the first three balls of the innings for four runs, leaving them unfazed. Laura Harris, her sister, and she put up 34 for the first wicket as the Heat easily won.
