Heat players strike a chord in the WBBL village

When it comes to off-field harmony, the Brisbane Heat squad is in perfect tune.

The two-time reigning champions have found their own unique way of relaxing and filling their down time together in the Rebel WBBL Village thanks to the musical talents of captain Jess Jonassen and allrounders Amelia Kerr and Mikayla Hinkley.

The guitar-playing trio, and assistant coach Scott Prestwidge, have found an outlet through jamming together, while their teammates will often join for a singalong – with requests welcome, of course.

"It's actually been really nice, we've been able to congregate at the end of our level at the hotel and there's a few requests every now and then," Jonassen told cricket.com.au.

"There's lot of country songs that come out and the odd ballad and heartfelt song.

"It's been really nice to get the team together and have a bit of downtime away from cricket."

Jonassen and Kerr first bonded over their shared hobby last season, and the bio-secure Sydney hub means they have even more time this season to learn new songs – although Jonassen has needed to manage her guitar-playing loads after developing blisters on her right (non-bowling) hand.

"I played a lot throughout my teenage years but I stopped playing since I moved to Brisbane and I only really picked it up again throughout last year when Amelia came over (to the Heat)," Jonassen says.

"We actually wrote a random little song last year during Big Bash about our Heat team … every player got one line in it and that was pretty funny.

"We played it when we were on the boat (celebrating the title)."

Like every other club, the Heat have had a stalled start to their WBBL|06 campaign, with two of their five games ending in washouts, while their loss to the Sydney Thunder was also severely rain affected.

Sydney’s late October rain added frustration to an already challenging season played inside a hub, and the Heat have yet to completely click on the field with their new-look line-up following the departures of Beth Mooney and Sammy-Jo Johnson and the retirement of Kirby Short.

However, their tight bond means they have struck a chord off it.

Their hotel floor in the WBBL Village has taken on a distinct Heat flavour with board games, puzzles, and of course, plenty of teal bunting.

Turning what would otherwise be a sterile hotel environment into their comfortable slice of home has been crucial; while there is no shortage of entertainment in the public spaces within the hub, Jonassen also knows the importance of making sure players can retreat to a place that is solely theirs.

"We’ve made this floor our own," Jonassen said.

"We have our sponsor signs blocking everyone off and got a lot of Heat banners up, and on each person’s door there’s a funny slideshow of images that describes that person.

"It’s been very nice so far, we’ve got a lot of puzzles, there’s music playing, a lot of cards, so everyone is easily entertained up there."

For South African Nadine de Klerk, joining the Heat for the first time this season has been a seamless experience.

The 20-year-old allrounder is playing in the Big Bash for the first time but has immediately slotted in with the two time title winners.

"They’ve been brilliant," de Klerk said on Wednesday.

"It's a bit different for me from where I come from in South Africa, but the girls have been really good to me, and they have been treating me like one of their own.

"It makes me feel comfortable and when you go out on to the cricket field, it shows in your performance, because you feel like you can just play your game and they back you 100 per cent at what you do.

"That makes a massive difference for me."