Leg Buys: Brisbane Heat mens and women's player movements, Stars fail to add much needed runs

LEG BUYS: Fresh from losing one of their masterblasters, the Heat have had to fight back with another in the crosshairs of a BBL rival. All the latest cricket transfer moves and rumours inside.

Having lost one hard-hitter to a Victorian Big Bash League club, Brisbane Heat appear to have fended off advances for another.

While Josh Brown’s long-flagged move to the Melbourne Renegades was announced earlier in the month, the Heat look likely to keep Max Bryant despite strong interest from the Melbourne Stars.

Once billed as one of Queensland’s most exciting young batters, Bryant was in and out of the Brisbane side during the season as the Heat prioritised their overseas players and Test guns Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja.

However Bryant, 25, played in all three of the Heat’s successful finals run, including the decider against the Sydney Sixers in which he made a handy 29 from 19 balls.

The departure of overnight sensation Brown to the Renegades could provide greater opportunities up the order for Bryant, who has also been a fringe member of the Queensland Sheffield Shield side.

Max Bryant looks set to stay in Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

His decision to stay at Brisbane is a further setback for the Stars, who missed the finals for a fourth consecutive season despite an improved campaign in 2023-24.

They made a play for the Heat’s Matt Kuhnemann last year, only for the spinner to stay in Brisbane.

Veteran Glenn Maxwell told teammates after the side’s final regular season match that he would stand down from the Stars captaincy.

Hobart on Wednesday announced that Charlie Wakim had signed a one-year contract extension.

Georgia Voll is looking likely to leave Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

THUNDER-VOLLT

The Heat is however bracing for the loss of Women’s Big Bash League players Georgia Voll and Courtney Sippel, both of whom were members of the side that lost a thrilling WBBL decider to the Adelaide Strikers at Adelaide Oval in December.

All-rounder Voll, 20, is being significantly courted by Sydney Thunder after a solid season for Brisbane in which she took nine wickets and made 206 runs.

The Toowoomba product shapes as a player of huge promise, having made an unbeaten double century off just 238 balls in a three-day invitational match in Adelaide last month against a high-class attack including Darcie Brown, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Sophie Day.

Sippel also looks like departing the Heat after taking 16 wickets during the most-recent WBBL campaign.

Nicola Carey will stay in purple next season. Picture: Getty Images

The Thunder has also shown interest in Stars quick Millie Illingworth.

Nicola Carey will remain with the Hobart Hurricanes.

Unlike the men’s competition, the WBBL remains in its contract embargo period pending the finalisation of a season structure for later this year. Clubs are overwhelmingly expecting season length to reduce from 14 regular season matches per team to 10, bringing it in line with the men. A state-based Twenty20 series is likely to be introduced to supplement the schedule.

Meanwhile seamer Zoe Cooke is poised to rejoin the ACT Meteors in the Women’s National Cricket League after a stint with the Queensland Fire.

Queensland all-rounder Ruth Johnston is likely to join Tasmania.

Jake Weatherald struggled to crack into a strong Tigers XI this season. Picture: Getty Images

STORM WEATHERED

Jake Weatherald is unlikely to join Victoria despite talks around the opener moving to what would have been a third state in as many seasons.

Weatherald, 29, moved from South Australia to Tasmania on a two-year deal this time last year but was starved of opportunities during the Tigers’ run to the Shield final.

While he explored a move to the Vics, Tassie has reiterated an unwillingness to part with him while under contract.

An SA homecoming had also been raised as a possibility amid significant change at the SACA, where general manager of cricket Tim Nielsen and SA and Strikers coach Jason Gillespie have recently departed.

With Nic Maddinson having departed for NSW, Travis Dean finishing up and uncertainty surrounding the future of Will Pucovski, missing out on Weatherald could open the door for youngsters Dylan Brasher and Ashley Chandransinghe to play more regularly for the Vics next season.

Originally published as Leg Buys: Brisbane Heat mens and women's player movements, Stars fail to add much needed runs