We've proved the doubters wrong: Jonassen

Brisbane Heat skipper Jess Jonassen says her team have proved the doubters wrong in Weber WBBL|10 after a raft of off-season changes to their playing squad and personnel.

The Heat have qualified for finals for a remarkable seventh consecutive season, and will go into Friday’s Challenger Final against Sydney Thunder on a five-game winning streak.

If they win the game at Allan Border Field, they will advance to Sunday’s final against the Renegades at the MCG, which would be their fourth appearance in the decider across those past seven years.

The departures of Georgia Voll to the Heat, and Amelia Kerr and Courtney Sippel to the Sixers generated plenty of headlines during the off-season, while middle-order batter Mikayla Hinkley, who moved to the Scorchers, was another departed seeking greater opportunity elsewhere.

Those losses were combined with the unavailability of international batter Mignon du Preez, who recently gave birth to twin daughters, and the departure of title-winning coach Ashley Noffke for a new role in New Zealand.

"I think the only people that were concerned were those from outside of these walls," Jonassen told reporters in Brisbane on Thursday.

"I feel like we've proved a few of the doubters wrong, but we're by no means done proving that point."

There is no doubting the quality of the players who have departed – Voll has gone on to open the batting for the Thunder, was named in the Team of the Tournament and is set to debut for Australia next week, while Kerr starred in her first season in magenta.

But the gaps left have created opportunities for other up-and-coming Heat players, who have thrived with added responsibility this season.

Left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton had not taken a WBBL wicket in five games across two seasons leading into this tournament, but since breaking through with figures of 5-8 against the Melbourne Stars, she has claimed 10 wickets in three games.

Leg-spinner Grace Parsons finally got her chance to debut following Kerr’s departure, and ended the regular season with seven wickets.

"It's part of where the women's game is going, and the professionalisation that there is, there is going to be player movement," Jonassen said.

"It goes to show the strength of our domestic set-up here in Queensland, that we produce so much talent.

"I think almost every franchise in the competition has at least one Queenslander.

"That's part of it. That's something that we're incredibly proud of as an organisation as well.

"I'm super pleased that Parsons has been able to get an opportunity this season, and she's performed beautifully as such a young player who's still learning her craft as well.

"Lucy Hamilton, we've seen over the last couple of games that she's just really burst onto the scene … she had a little bit of experience last season, but probably didn't get as many overs.

"This season, she's really almost been one of the leaders of our attack."

And the Heat’s strong core of local players remained largely intact: openers Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris, middle-order destructor Laura Harris, allrounders Jess Jonassen and Charli Knott.

The addition of India quick Shikha Pandey, who was the sole Heat player named in the official Team of the Tournament, has boosted the pace attack, and India top-order batter Jemi Rodrigues has also been a valuable draftee.

"It's obviously disappointing at different times to lose players, particularly high-quality players, but so many people seem to forget the core group of players that we still had here," Jonassen continued.

"And equally, we were able to get the players that we wanted in the overseas draft as well that really complemented the group that we already had.

"Having the international class of someone like Shikha Pandey around, who can talk fast bowling (with local players), talk tactics, talk plans, I think that's something that's really added a lot of value to our pace bowling attack, particularly, that I feel like a lot of those girls have really thrived upon."

WBBL|10 Finals

The Knockout: Sydney Thunder beat Hobart Hurricanes by six wickets

The Challenger: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder | Allan Border Field | Friday, November 29 at 7.15pm AEDT, 6.15pm AEDT

The Final: Melbourne Renegades v TBC | MCG | Sunday, December 1 at 1.20pm AEDT

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