Brisbane Heat’s Grace Harris a Women’s Big Bash League star – even before she bats or bowls

Brisbane Heat allrounder Grace Harris is a star even before she bats, bowls or fields. With a television microphone strapped to her chest, she has been roaming entertainment show across the WBBL season.

Brisbane Heat allrounder Grace Harris is a star even before she bats, bowls or fields.

With a television microphone strapped to her chest, she has been roaming entertainment show across the WBBL season. Simply, her chatter is entertainment.

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“I love a good chat out there,’’ Harris said.

“Cricket would be pretty boring if you had to do everything in silence.

“You can snare a couple of wickets by just getting into the batters’ heads mentally, not even with any decent bowling,’’ she smiled.

Brisbane Heat player Grace Harris before training yesterday at Allan Border field. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Harris said some teammates liked her “chatty’’ style, some did not, but there was nothing she can do about it because Harris talking on the field was as natural as a waterfall running in the tropics.

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“Some find me annoying, some find me funny so I just tell those who find my annoying to get used to it,’’ she said.

Brisbane Heat player Grace Harris. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

For all the fun she has, there is a serious side to Harris, the Wests all-rounder who once scorched to a WBBL century in just 42 balls.

“There is a serious side,’’ the Brigidine College past student said.

Grace Harris cuts earlier in the season. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

“You have to switch on and off. Switching off is the ability to have fun, switching on is the ability to be serious.

“And there are times when you have to be serious. If you are simply having fun all of the time, then people think you don’t really care about the game.

“So there are moments where you have to be a little more serious.’’

Grace Harris bowling off-spin. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

And she will be deadly serious when the Brisbane Heat aim to continue its defence of the WBBL title in Saturday’s semi-final against Melbourne Renegades at Allan Border Field.

The clash is part of the WBBL finals’ double header, with Adelaide confronting Perth in the morning at Queensland Cricket headquarters, and then the Heat-Melbourne fixture in the afternoon.

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The two winners will then play in Sunday’s grand final.

Harris, whose sister Laura plays in the Heat side, said the squad would benefit from the big match experience they gained last season when Brisbane were able to take the WBBL title.

Grace Harris, left, batting with her sister Laura Harris. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

And she said the older players had encouraged the less experienced players to believe in themselves and have no self doubts on game day.

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“The experience from the previous years does help,’’ Harris said.

“Us older ones are used the hype around the WBBL finals, but the younger ones, I will be encouraging them to leave any doubts they have in the change rooms.

“There is a lot of extra stuff that comes with the finals week, but at the end of the day the team that wins is the team that backs themselves and executes what they have been doing all season.

“So if you have any doubts, just leave them at the dressing room door.’’

The serious side of Grace Harris. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Harris, who has only ever played club with the Western Suburbs club, loved her sport as a child but it was not until around the age of 14 when cricket took hold of her sporting life.

“I followed my older sisters into sport and then I started playing cricket with Wests first because our primary school (St Joseph’s, Corinda) did not have cricket. You just played at lunch time.

“Then I followed my older sisters through high school and they played all sorts of sports.’’