Allround Brisbane Heat coast to WBBL final

A clinical all-round performance helped Brisbane Heat register a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the Challenger match against Sydney Thunder at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Friday (November 29) as they sealed a date with Melbourne Renegades in the final of the Women's Big Bash League 2024.

Grace Parsons (3-10) led a collective effort with the ball as Heat restricted Thunder to 133/7. Georgia Redmayne (50* off 41) and Jemimah Rodrigues (43 off 30) powered the chase with a 75-run partnership for the second wicket as Heat took only 15.2 overs to get to the target and enter the final of WBBL for the second successive time.

Samantha Bates struck early in the second innings to have Grace Harris out stumped for 7. But Redmayne and Rodrigues ensured Heat did not face any pressure in the chase. Only 15 runs came off the first three overs but Redmayne and Rodrigues picked up pace after that. They struck regular boundaries, with Rodrigues also hitting a six off Taneale Peschel, to power Heat to 89/1 at the halfway stage of the innings.

But Rodrigues, who had earlier hurt her left wrist while fielding, was in a lot of pain while batting and she eventually retired hurt having struck 5 fours and a six during her stay. However, there was no respite for the Thunder bowlers as Redmayne and Charli Knott continued to deal in fours. Redmayne hit a total of 8 fours, with the last one sealing Heat's progression to the final.

Earlier, having been asked to bat, Chamari Athapaththu got off to a slow start which meant Georgia Voll had to handle the bulk of the boundary-hitting responsibility. Voll, though, was bowled by Nicola Hancock for a 16-ball 20. Just when Thunder were getting a move on through Athapaththu and Phoebe Litchfield's fours off Lucy Hamilton, the former was bowled by Jess Jonassen for 11 off 18. Parsons then came along to leave Thunder in further trouble as she bagged the wicket of Tahlia Wilson in her first over and sent Litchfield and Georgia Adams back in her second to leave the batting side struggling at 56/5.

It became 69/7 soon after as Sammy-Jo Johnson and Anika Learoyd also fell cheaply, leaving Thunder in the danger of being bowled out early. But Hannah Darlington led a fine counterattack with a 29-ball 40 not out and was well supported by Taneale Peschel (24* off 16) as Thunder scored 61 runs in the last five overs to lead the team to a fighting total which, however, proved insufficient.

Brief scores: Sydney Thunder 133/7 in 20 overs (Hannah Darlington 40*, Taneale Peschel 24*; Grace Parsons 3-10, Jess Jonassen 2-33) lost to Brisbane Heat 134/1 in 15.2 overs (Georgia Redmayne 50*, Jemimah Rodrigues 43; Samantha Bates 1-25) by 9 wickets.