Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
Queensland Cricket has today congratulated international allrounder Delissa Kimmince on her 15-year cricketing career, which saw her excel at the highest level of the game and lead her State by example.
The 31-year-old informed Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket this week of her decision to retire, ending a remarkable international and domestic playing career which included representing her country whilst still in her teens and being a member of three ICC World T20 Cup winning squads.
The Warwick product played in Queensland’s first national women’s title win, the 2013-14 WT20 championship, and was then a key member of the WBBL Brisbane Heat’s historic two-time championship team.
QC CEO Terry Svenson thanked Kimmince for her outstanding contribution to the game.
“It’s been a privilege to watch Delissa play for Australia, the Fire and the Heat,’’ he said. “Her skills as a player were outstanding, and it was equally rewarding to see the way she carried herself away from the field.
“She led by example through her generosity with sponsors, volunteers, fans and supporters, and her enthusiasm to promote the game to girls and women.
“Delissa deserves the highest praise for her willingness to step up as an exceptional role model for the game. On behalf of the many fans she made time to chat with and take a photo with after matches, or play a game with boys and girls at a coaching clinic, it’s appropriate to congratulate her and wish her all the success for the future.”
“We will celebrate DK’s career at next week’s Queensland Cricket Awards dinner and look forward to highlighting the exceptional contribution she has made to cricket in the State,” Svenson said.
Kimmince made her debut for Queensland in a one-day tour game against New Zealand in 2006 when she was still at high school and made her international debut 16 months later in 2008 when she played against the White Ferns in two One Day Internationals in New Zealand.
She was a member of the Australia squad that finished fourth in the 2009 ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia before taking a break from the game to travel and work overseas in 2011.
The Queenslander returned to play the WNCL for the Fire in 2012-13 season and in 2014, was recalled to the Australian team.
In all, she played 16 Women’s ODIs for Australia, with a highlight her career best figures of 5-26 in 2019 against England.
Her T20 career for Australia was extensive, being a member of Australia’s 2014 and 2018 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Champions Squads, as well as featuring prominently in last year’s landmark T20 World Cup in Australia, culminating in the memorable Final at the MCG before 86,000 fans.
She claimed 45 international T20 wickets with her right-arm seamers at an economy rate of 6.73 while proving an innovative and reliable lower order batting force.
For Queensland, she amassed 82 WNCL matches and 48 T20 games for the Fire, including a stint as captain.
She scored 1259 WNCL runs at 26.78 with a highest score of 100, as well as claiming 75 wickets at 29.34 with a best bowling return of 5-40.
In the WT20 competition, the precursor to the successful Women’s Big Bash League, she produced 912 runs at 22.80 with a highest score of 78no. She also claimed 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6.60 with best bowling figures of 2-11.
She was one of the first players signed by the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural rebel Women’s Big Bash League season, captaining the team in the first two seasons.
Her WBBL career saw her score 668 runs at 16.29 with a highest score 87no. She took 83 wickets at an economy rate of 7.05 with a best bowling effort of 4-18.
Importantly, Kimmince was in the middle at Drummoyne Oval in the WBBL|04 Final against the Sydney Sixers when batting partner Laura Harris hit the winning runs to claim Brisbane’s first WBBL trophy.
She was also on the spot a year later in WBBL|05 when the Heat defeated the Adelaide Strikers before a delighted Allan Border Field crowd to register back-to-back trophies.
She was twice Queensland Fire Player of the Year, in 2013-14 and 2016-17.
