Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
The WBBL Brisbane Heat will again be powered by the Harris sisters Grace and Laura after the two big-hitters became the latest players to re-sign with the two-time rebel Women’s Big Bash League champions.
The pair join Australian allrounders Jess Jonassen and Delissa Kimmince and New Zealand duo Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr as key signings ahead of WBBL|06 this summer.
While the Harris siblings have stood tall on the cricketing stage for the Heat, they found themselves taking the spotlight for a different reason last weekend as Laura married Heat teammate Delissa Kimmince, with Grace in the bridal party.
The nuptials sprang from the celebrations after the Heat’s inaugural title win, with Delissa making the offer to propose to her partner if the team managed to defeat the Sydney Sixers.
One thrilling victory later, with Laura and Delissa at the crease for the winning runs, and wedding plans began in earnest.
With current and former Heat teammates in attendance, Delissa and Laura were married on Saturday at Marburg in the Brisbane Valley.
Brisbane Heat coach Ashley Noffke said it had been a unique off-season event to prepare for.
“It goes without saying that everyone is very pleased for Laura and Delissa and as a group, we all wish them the very best for the future,’’ he said.
“All of the players have been working very hard during the off-season, and I know neither DK, ‘Larris’ or Grace wanted to slacken off, even though it was a bit challenging with final arrangements due to the various travel restrictions and social distancing conditions for the event.”
“But it was great they could enjoy a very special day for them and their family and friends,’’ he said.
“It was a bit of a different week in a sense though. The Queensland girls arranged flowers for them for their last group session before the wedding for instance. But apart from some different hair styles appearing late in the week, they got in and got their work sorted, and then were able to relax and enjoy the day.
“They are back training this week, so you have to applaud their dedication.”
Noffke said that for the Heat, the Harris sisters would help create another strong batting group for the coming season.
“We’ve all seen that Grace can be devastating on her day with her batting, and of course she is a very handy bowler for us,’’ he said.
“Laura continues to get better and better. She has been great in the later overs as a finisher or as a pinch hitter and we’re keen to keep challenging her.”
Grace holds the record for the fastest WBBL century, slamming a ton of just 42 balls in WBBL|04 against the Melbourne Stars at the Gabba, after previously becoming the first woman to score a WBBL hundred in the first year of the competition.
She hit 42 from 27 balls in the semi-final against the Melbourne Renegades at Allan Border Field
Laura hit the winning runs for the Heat in the WBBL|04 and WBBL|05 Finals and boasts a career strike-rate of 130 in T20 cricket.
The WBBL will feature a record number of broadcast matches on Channel 7 and Foxtel, with 23 regular season matches and three finals to be shown.
The remaining 33 games will be streamed live on the CA Live app, cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports.
