Du Preez ready to turn up the Heat in finals

Mignon du Preez has ticked off one significant item on her Australian bucket list in recent days and now she has her sights set on another – the WBBL trophy.

As the Brisbane Heat waited to find out their finals destination on Sunday, Harris sisters Grace and Laura took du Preez to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where she had a close encounter with ‘Howie’.

"I got to hold a koala, which I've never done before, so that was really special and definitely a highlight of the trip," du Preez told cricket.com.au.

"The only thing that can make it better is holding that Big Bash trophy at the back end of the tournament.

"I've never actually won a big trophy before, not a World Cup trophy or any of the other tournaments, so it would be pretty special to top the season off (with that)." 

The Heat have now arrived in Perth ahead of Tuesday’s Elimination final against Sydney Thunder at the WACA Ground.

There might be some disappointment in the group at missing out on a spot in the top two, after a red-hot start to the season that saw the Heat win their first four matches.

But du Preez said she was confident the team were regaining form at the right time.

"We are finally clicking in all departments," she said.

"The biggest area of concern for us throughout this campaign this time around was a little bit of the fielding.

"We had quite a couple of dropped catches throughout the season ... if you don't make it count the first time around, it comes to haunt you and hurt you.

"We've been on the receiving end a couple of times this season and I think we've definitely seen in the back in the season, our fielding got a lot better and we got a lot more energy in the game."

Du Preez signed with the Heat this season via the direct nomination mechanism, which allowed some players to bypass the draft, having previously played for the Hurricanes and Stars.

And despite retiring from international cricket in December 2022, du Preez has maintained her outstanding record of scoring more than 300 runs in every WBBL season she has been part of.

In 14 innings in WBBL|09 she has scored 333 runs, including two half-centuries.

"It's been a little bit different," du Preez said.

"Obviously in the past, I had a lot more access to coaches – although earlier in my career before we were really professional, we had to do a lot of the fitness side, the running and the gym on our own, so that part I've got covered, I'm somebody that can do it on my own.

"The batting side has been a little bit of a challenge in the sense that when I was younger, I preferred to hit lots and lots of balls, where now I've had to get a little bit smarter and realise that it's quality over quantity that matters.

"So, if I can't hit as often as I used to do, I just need to make the most of the opportunity when I get it.

"I had a couple of sessions with coaches back home at one of the academies, and we've recently moved to Malmesbury in Cape Town where I got an opportunity to train with a couple of the high school boys, they came out and helped me on the bowling machine.

"I just had to be a little bit smarter this time around."

Du Preez retired from South African cricket in order to spend more time with her husband, Tony, while also making the most of various playing opportunities around the world.

"I'm loving it, the biggest thing was to spend more time at home – I actually got a lot of time this year with my husband at home and it was really special," she said.

"It's been a fantastic year, but (it’s been good) still having a couple of opportunities to travel for the FairBreak Global tournament and the Caribbean Premier League and the Big Bash, which is definitely always a highlight of the year."

WBBL|09 Finals

The Eliminator: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder | WACA Ground | November 28, 7.40pm AEDT (4.40pm local)

The Challenger: Perth Scorchers v TBC | WACA Ground | November 29, 7.40pm AEDT (4.40pm local)

The Final: Adelaide Strikers v TBC | Adelaide Oval | December 2 at 7.10pm AEDT/6.40pm ACDT

Grab your tickets or tune in on the Seven Network, Fox Cricket, Kayo or ABC radio