Harris in shock club switch on WBBL deadline day

Sydney Thunder have landed big-hitter Laura Harris in a bombshell coup in the final hours of the Weber WBBL Player Movement Window.

Harris, the second most capped woman for the Brisbane Heat with 123 appearances across the competition's 10 seasons, has signed a two-year deal to move to the Thunder for WBBL|11.

The 34-year-old made a golden duck in the WBBL|10 Final loss to Melbourne Renegades as the Heat went down in the decider for the second straight season.

Renowned as somewhat of a Power Surge specialist, the right-hander is one of the cleanest strikers in the game with a career T20 strike rate of 167 and she scored her maiden century for the Heat in the T20 Spring Challenge prior to WBBL|10.

The Thunder, who lost the Challenger final to the Heat, will be hoping a new environment helps Harris rediscover her best next season after averaging 15 with the bat with a top score of 40 over her past two WBBL seasons.

"This opportunity with Sydney Thunder felt like the right step to reinvigorate my love for the game," Harris said.

"I've watched Sydney Thunder from afar, and there's so much talent in the group. Players like Phoebe Litchfield have been really inspiring to watch – they just play with so much freedom.

"There's also a lot of exciting young talent in the Thunder squad, and I'm looking forward to bringing a bit of calmness and experience to help everyone back themselves and play their own game."

Harris adds a much-needed boost to the Thunder's middle-order after the struggled to find runs from outside their top three (Georgia Voll, Chamari Athapaththu and Phoebe Litchfield) following Heather Knight's departure midway through the season due to international duties.

Thunder general manager Trent Copeland also lured emerging allrounder Hasrat Gill on WBBL deadline day with a two-year deal, prising her away from Melbourne Stars.

Gill, who is set to be named in Australia's Under-19 World Cup squad later this evening, was unused by the Stars last season as they finished WBBL|10 in last place.

The 19-year-old leg-spinner claimed a three-wicket haul against the Thunder in October's Spring Challenge and impressed with both bat and ball during an U19 tri-series in Sri Lanka earlier this year, hitting 40 not out and claiming 4-20 in a T20 against England.

The Stars season went from bad to worse during the Player Movement Window as they also lost talented allrounder Tess Flintoff to crosstown rivals Melbourne Renegades.

"Tess has been a big part of the Stars since WBBL|05 and we're really disappointed to lose her," Stars general manager Blair Crouch said yesterday.

"She's someone we've invested heavily in over the last five years, and we thought the contract offer we put to her was fair and reasonable."

The inaugural 10-day WBBL Player Movement Window closed at 5pm today with those three players the only defections announced so far.

The deadline day signings mean the Thunder have filled 10 list spots for next season, the maximum number permitted at the end of the Player Movement Window.

Sydney Thunder squad for WBBL|11 (so far): Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Sam Bates, Hannah Darlington, Hasrat Gill, Laura Harris, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson

A league contracting embargo will now be in place until about March 2025 when clubs will be free to add further players to their lists.

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