Feeling the heat: Brisbane one game away from winless WBBL season after latest loss to the Thunder
The Brisbane Heat made the WBBL final last year. But 12 months on, they’re on track to hit a historic low.
A masterful knock from skipper Phoebe Litchfield has guided the Thunder to a commanding victory over the Heat who will finish the WBBL season winless unless they can cause a major upset in their final game this weekend.
The Thunder have also endured a rough few weeks and won’t play finals this season, but at least they gave their home fans something to cheer about as they claimed their third win with a 23-run victory at Drummoyne Oval.
They were in strife having collapsed to 4-33, but Litchfield made the most of a reprieve on two to punish the Heat with a game-changing 61 off 43 to help the Thunder reach 7-153.
She hit eight boundaries and a six but was furious with herself when she attempted a switch hit and was caught on the first ball of the power surge.
Em Arlott take a bow 🔥#WBBL11pic.twitter.com/L8gFebRiXm
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 3, 2025
But she was smiling in the field as her bowlers restricted the Heat to 6-130, with Em Arlott hanging onto a screamer to dismiss Sianna Ginger with a one-handed return catch.
COLD STREAK
It’s a summer scorcher across Australia right now, but the Brisbane Heat remain ice cold after their winless run this season extended to nine matches.
They now have just one game left to avoid some unwanted history as the only team to not win a game in a WBBL campaign, with the Heat managing one point from a washed out game last week.
It’s been a brutal season for last year’s finalists who were without stars Grace Harris, Nadine de Klerk, Nic Hancock, Jemimah Rodrigues and Jess Jonassen for Wednesday night’s clash for different reasons.
There was one positive with English spinner Sarah Glenn making an immediate impact with four wickets in her season debut, including two in as many balls in the fifth over of the contest.
But that was a rare highlight as they lost a wicket in the opening over of the chase and never recovered, with the Heat needing to beat the Scorchers on Saturday to salvage some pride from an otherwise disastrous tournament.
There was a scary moment during the run chase when Chinelle Henry copped a brutal bouncer from Shabnim Ismail to the head and had to retire hurt.
Originally published as Feeling the heat: Brisbane one game away from winless WBBL season after latest loss to the Thunder
