Harris 2.0 Lights Up T20

Needing five runs to win, Laura hit a four to take her personal score to 96 and then hammered the next ball for six to clinch a dominant win over the Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval and register her first century in the process.

Laura reached triple figures off just 46 balls, two fewer than Grace did last year when she hit 100 off 48 balls against the Perth Scorchers on the way to her the highest score in the Weber Women's Big Bash League.

In the opening game this morning of the Spring Challenge, the new warm-up T20 tournament for domestic players ahead of the WBBL that starts at the end of the month, the Heat were white-hot as they comfortably dealt with the Thunder.

Sydney made 8-151 after the Heat won the toss and sent them into bat. Heat regulars Lucy Hamilton (2-32, Nicola Hancock (2-28) and Charli Knott (2-27) were all among the wicket-takers while Toowoomba product Lilli Hamilton snared 1-22 from three overs.

In reply, Redmayne and Harris got away to a flyer, racing to 0-30 inside three overs. Redmayne's dismissal for 23 merely opened the door for Laura Harris, who blasted eight sixes and 11 fours on the way to her career milestone and a net run-rate boosting result.

With Knott chiming in with a sweet 26 from 15 balls, including 18 off a Goergia Adams over, Brisbane finished 1-157 from 12.2 overs.

They will be back in action tomorrow night against the Sydney Sixers at North Sydney Oval, before taking on the ACT Meteors on Monday at Sydney's Allan Border Oval. The team then heads to Adelaide to play the Strikers in their final round game on Wednesday next week.

Meanwhile Monto teenager Tarah Staines will replace English international Lauren Winfield-Hill in the Heat squad for the Spring Challenge after she was ruled ineligible to compete in the tournament.

Staines, a Bundaberg junior who plays for the Sunshine Coast Scorchers in the KFC Queensland Premier Cricket competition, also starred for the Queensland Country Brolgas which won the Australian Country championships in January where she was selected in the team of the tournament.

She was awarded the 2023-24 Jodie Purves Young Cricketer Development Scholarship that has supported rural and regional female cricketers since 2014.

An allrounder who bats in the top order and bowls right-arm off-spin, she was a Queensland Under-19s player for three seasons and was also a State juior softball representative.

T20 Spring Challenge – Brisbane Heat Squad

(updated)

8. Georgia Redmayne (Wests, wk) (c)
1. Charli Knott (University of Qld) (v-c)
3. Lilly Bassingthwaite (Wests)
5. Lucy Bourke (Valley)
4. Sianna Ginger (Valley)
10. Lilli Hamilton (Wests)
16. Lucy Hamilton (Sunshine Coast)
12. Nic Hancock (University of Qld)
11. Laura Harris (University of Qld)
13. Kira Holmes (Valley, wk)
15. Tarah Staines (Sunshine Coast)
9. Ruby Strange (Wests)
2. Mikayla Wrigley (Sunshine Coast, wk)
Coach: Mark Sorell