Skipper goes down as Heat burn Hurricanes in Launceston
An injury to their most important player has left the Hurricanes reeling following the big loss to the Brisbane Heat. FULL MATCH REPORT >>
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THE Hurricanes may have lost much more than the game last night as they became the latest side to be scorched by the Brisbane Heat.
The Heat sit atop the WBBL ladder as it pounded the home side by eight-wickets, chasing down the Hurricanes 8-132 with nine balls to spare.
The first ball of each innings was a horror show for Hurricane skipper Rachel Priest.
Going into the game as WBBL07’s leading run-scorer, Priest was clean-bowled Courtney Sippel (3-25) and then in the first ball in the Heat’s innings, she badly injured her left index finger attempting to take a Tayla Vlaeminck thunderbolt down the legside.
She courageously attempted to play on, but was forced from the ground in obvious pain at the end of the over and did not return.
The difference in batting class was demonstrated with the bat, with seriously inform Grace Harris (57 not out off 46 balls, with five fours and two sixes) leading the perfectly placed run-chase.
The 28-year-old all-rounder has been a model of consistency and now leads all WBBL07 batters with 148 runs at 49 and an impressive strike rate of 130 to boot.
Priest’s early wicket again exposed the Hurricanes brittle top-order, that crumbled to 4-15.
If it wasn’t for a Queensland product in purple, Hobart would have struggled to reach three figures.
Ruth Johnston, 18, who was recruited from Brisbane Premier League, showed her class, power experience beyond her five games to top score with a 42-ball 47 and share valuable partnerships with Richa Ghosh (22) and Molly Strano (33).
She said playing against so many familiar bowlers definitely helped her game.
“A little bit, but then there is also the flip side where they also know how I bat,” Johnston said.
“I guess I was a little bit more comfortable because I know how they can bowl.
“It was a big pre-season in Queensland so definitely faced a lot of their balls, although the internationals were a little bit tricky.
“But I definitely felt a lot better.”
The Hurricanes struggled from the outset, who lost Priest and import Mignon Du Preez in the first over, while Australian all-rounder Nicola Carey fell to a classic two-handed diving catch from Laura Kimmince at backward point.
Carey was the only Hurricane to trouble the Heat, taking two wicket in her first over and should have had three but a plumb leg before decision against Harris was inexplicably given not out and the Heat were never troubled again.
The Hurricanes will have to regroup quickly, almost definitely without their skipper and best player in Priest as they take on the Stars in Launceston on Wednesday night.
The Heat’s next game is on Saturday again against Hobart.