Heat snare India leg-spinner to round out WBBL|07 squad

The Brisbane Heat have secured an international leg-spinner to fill the hole left by New Zealand star Amelia Kerr’s withdrawal, signing India’s Poonam Yadav.

The diminutive wrist spinner has made a habit of wreaking havoc against Australian batters, including her 4-19 in last year’s T20 World Cup opener, and Brisbane will hope she can do the same in Weber WBBL|07.

This will be the first time the 30-year-old has appeared in the domestic T20 competition, and is the eighth India player to sign a deal for the upcoming season joining Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav (both Sixers), Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma (both Thunder), Richa Ghosh (Hurricanes), Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur (both Renegades).

She rounds out the Heat’s overseas contingent, joining South Africans Anneke Bosch and Nadine de Klerk.

"When we lost Amelia Kerr, we were confident we could back our group to give a good account of themselves regardless but adding Poonam’s skill and her competitiveness is a huge result,” Heat coach Ashley Noffke said.

"She is a different type of bowler to Melie, and we are clear on how we can best utilise her talents in our line-up.

"Jess Jonassen has played against her and as captain, she is very keen to work alongside her now she is with the Heat."

Kerr withdrew from the Big Bash last month, citing the need to continue focusing on her mental health after she had already chosen to sit out New Zealand’s tour of England.

Poonam’s signing is the final international spot in the competition to be confirmed.

The Heat have now completed their 15-player roster, making just four changes to the group that made the semi-finals in WBBL|06.

On Thursday, they announced the signings of ACT Meteors pace bowling duo Zoe Cooke and Nicola Hancock.

Hancock, 25, impressed for the Heat in her first season last year, taking 11 wickets at 22.90, and has re-signed for a second summer with the club.

Allrounder Cooke, 26, has the opportunity to make her WBBL debut after fighting back from a career-threatening back injury.

She had previously been on the Renegades’ list without making a debut, but her performances in the domestic one-day cup last season caught the eye of Noffke, where she maintained the best economy rate of 3.97 after returning from the serious injury.

"Zoe didn’t play in the Meteors' win over Queensland early in the season as she was coming back from her injury, but we certainly had our eye on her by the end of the WNCL tournament," Noffke said.

"Nic Hancock did a great job for us last year and as we were keen to reinforce our pace stocks for WBBL|07, Zoe looked to be a very good fit for us.

"She can swing the new ball and is a good mover in the field. She has worked very hard to get back from injury with the Meteors and we’re really pleased to be able to offer her the opportunity to further her cricket career in the WBBL."

The Heat's Queensland-based players flew to Hobart on Friday ahead of their first match against Perth Scorchers at Blundstone Arena on October 17.

The Scorchers also finalised their 15-player group on Friday, confirming their final four local spots have been filled by recruits Amy Edgar, Ashley Day, Lisa Griffith and Lilly Mills.

Batters Edgar and Day hold Western Australia state contracts, while experienced allrounder Griffith moves across from the Sydney Sixers, and off-spinner Mills has previously been contracted to the Heat.

Meanwhile, Sydney Sixers have been dealt an injury blow ahead of the tournament with young allrounder Hayley Silver-Holmes ruled out due to a hip injury.

Rising star Claire Moore, the leading run scorer in NSW Women’s Premier Cricket last summer, has been added to their squad as an injury replacement.

Silver-Holmes and Moore, both 17, played grade cricket together at Parramatta, and both attended Hills Sports High in Seven Hills before Silver-Holmes left Sydney to take up a contract with Tasmania’s Women’s National Cricket League team earlier this year.

"Hayley and I have played a lot of cricket together at school, club, and NSW Pathways levels, so it’s ironic that my chance in the WBBL has come following her injury," Moore said.

"I really feel for Hayley. She is such a good player and has so much talent. I hope I can take this opportunity with both hands and represent both of us."

Heat WBBL|07 squad: Jess Jonassen* (c), Anneke Bosch (SA), Nadine de Klerk (SA), Poonam Yadav (Ind), Zoe Cooke, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Ellie Johnston, Laura Kimmince, Mikayla Hinkley, Charli Knott, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

In: Anneke Bosch, Ellie Johnston, Poonam Yadav (Ind), Zoe Cooke

Out: Delissa Kimmince (retired), Amelia Kerr (NZ), Maddy Green (NZ), Lilly Mills (Scorchers)

Scorchers WBBL|07 squad: Sophie Devine (NZ)(c), Beth Mooney*, Chamari Athapathu (SL), Marizanne Kapp (SA), Samantha Betts, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Ashley Day, Amy Edgar, Heather Graham, Lisa Griffith, Alana King, Lilly Mills, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo

In: Marizanne Kapp (Sixers), Chamari Athapaththu, Alana King (Stars), Lisa Griffith (Sixers), Lilly Mills (Heat), Ashley Day, Amy Edgar

Out: Jemma Barsby (Strikers), Amy Jones, Sarah Glenn, Emma King (retired), Nicole Bolton (Sixers), Megan Banting, Georgia Wyllie

Sixers WBBL|07 squad: Ellyse Perry* (c), Ashleigh Gardner*, Alyssa Healy*, Shafali Verma (Ind), Radha Yadav (Ind), Jade Allen, Nicole Bolton, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Emma Hughes, Matilda Lugg, Angela Reakes, Hayley Silver-Holmes (injured), Claire Moore (injury replacement)

In: Maitlan Brown (Renegades), Nicole Bolton (Sixers), Jade Allen, Matilda Lugg, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma

Out: Marizanne Kapp (Scorchers), Dane van Niekerk, Sarah Aley (retired), Maddy Darke (Sixers), Lisa Griffith (Scorchers), Jodie Hicks

* CA contracted player

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