Unique group of sporting champs makes up Brisbane Heat’s title winning WBBL squad
There’s a deputy principal, a landscaper, and an ambidextrous bowler who plays despite a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. These are your WBBL champions, and they’re not your average cricketers.
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The Brisbane Heat claimed the Women’s Big Bash League title with a thrilling victory against the Sydney Sixers on Saturday.
But these aren’t your run-of-the-mill cricketers.
Among the Heat women are a deputy principal, landscaper and an ambidextrous bowler who plays despite a multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Meet the the Brisbane Heat of 2018-19.
KIRBY SHORT
The Heat skipper produced a crucial 29 from 35 balls to help Brisbane to victory in the final, but she does some of her best work away from the field. Short is a teacher and will return to school at MacGregor State High this week as a deputy principal. Her first assembly is sure to be entertaining. Her great uncle Neil Harvey played alongside Sir Donald Bradman.
BETH MOONEY
Mooney was Brisbane’s hero in the final, overcoming heat exhaustion to score a match-winning 65 from 46 balls. She is one of Australia’s top cricketers, played in last year’s T20 World Cup winning team and was in 2017 named the ICC T20 player of the year. Mooney is the Heat’s best player.
DELISSA KIMMINCE
A cross-code gun who played one game for the Brisbane Lions in the inaugural AFLW season. Kimmince is a key bowler for the Heat and finished equal first for the most wickets taken in the WBBL this summer with 22. She played in Australia’s victorious T20 World Cup team last year and only recently gave up running a cleaning business to focus on cricket.
GRACE HARRIS
Harris is the female Chris Lynn. A six-hitting gun, Harris scored the fastest century in WBBL history this summer off just 42 balls at the Gabba. She also scored the first ever WBBL century and is one of the most entertaining players in the game when mic’d up given her unique personality. Harris’ choice of language has seen her compared to “The Honey Badger” Nick Cummins.
LAURA HARRIS
The sister of Grace, Laura is a nurse by trade and spent the week of the WBBL final juggling shift work in the Logan Hospital emergency department with cricket training. She seemed to have it all worked out though after hitting the winning runs with a boundary in the last over.
JESS JONASSEN
The Heat’s spinning all-rounder has a law degree and plans to practice law when she retires from professional cricket. Jonassen was a member of Australia’s victorious T20 World Cup squad and made 99 on her Test debut in the 2015 Ashes. That’s gotta hurt.
JEMMA BARSBY
The daughter of Queensland Bulls legend Trevor Barsby is one of the WBBL’s great stories. Barsby has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but manages to play cricket professionally. She is ambidextrous and can bowl with both hands. She also works at a cafe near Queensland Cricket headquarters in Albion is renowned for being an excellent barista.
SAMMY-JO JOHNSON
Johnson was the Heat’s most improved player this summer and a key figure in Brisbane’s title success. Johnson runs a landscaping business and is known to be a revhead. Her fast bowling was excellent all summer and a promotion to No. 3 in the batting order has seen her bolt into consideration for Australian selection.
HAIDEE BIRKETT
Without Birkett, the Heat may not have even made the final. The young gun took a stunning catch on the boundary on the last ball of Brisbane’s gripping semi-final win against the Thunder to book the Heat a spot in the final. A product of Charters Towers, Birkett captained a team of boys at the age of 13 and is considered to be a star on the rise.
JOSIE DOOLEY
Another young gun coming through the ranks, Dooley was recently named in Australia’s under-19 squad and toured India last year with Australia A. She is a university student who is expected to be a big player for the Heat in summers to come.
LAURA WOLVAARDT
The Heat’s only international player to feature in the final. Teams are allowed to have three imports, but the Heat only signed two and Wolvaardt was the only one to be picked in the decider. The South African is an international star at just 19.
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