With the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft recently concluded and squads finalised, the WBBL 11 is fast approaching and generating plenty of excitement among fans. Teams and players alike will be eagerly awaiting the much-anticipated T20 league and have likely already begun their preparations in full swing.
One such player is Georgia Redmayne, a five-season Brisbane Heat veteran. The star wicketkeeper-batter believes Brisbane Heat’s back-to-back WBBL heartbreaks in 2023 and 2024 will only strengthen the team’s resilience, as she looks to help the two-time champions and two-time runners-up take that final step and clinch their title this season.
Redmayne has committed her long-term future to the Brisbane Heat by signing a two-year extension to her current contract, keeping her with the club at least until the end of WBBL 13 in 2027. Although she has won domestic T20 leagues in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean in recent years, a Big Bash title remains missing from her otherwise decorated career.
The 31-year-old, who is also a doctor by profession, joined Brisbane Heat following their back-to-back titles in WBBL 04 and WBBL 05. While the team have remained consistent contenders during her time, reaching the top four every season, they are still chasing a third championship.
Having played five seasons for Brisbane Heat, the wicketkeeper has amassed 1,730 runs at an average of nearly 30. Redmayne’s contributions behind the stumps are equally impressive, with 79 dismissals to her name.
Narrow defeats in the past two finals against the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades were tough to take, but Redmayne remains confident the Brisbane will bounce back strongly in WBBL 11. She said, “To be able to make so many finals, we’ve got to be doing something right.”
Talking further about Heat’s multiple appearances in the final, she said, “I think a lot of the time it gets down to the final, and it’s that mental pressure as well, so I think the experience of having been in those finals should put us in good stead.” She added, “I’d like to be able to go one further. We saw how great it was when the boys won a couple of seasons ago, and we want to be able to bring that trophy back.”
Last year, despite significant off-season upheaval, including the departure of title-winning coach Ashley Noffke and key players such as New Zealander Amelia Kerr, as well as locals Georgia Voll and Courtney Sippel, the Heat still reached last season’s final at the MCG. However, they fell short of 7 runs against the Renegades to clinch their record title.
As Brisbane heads into WBBL 11, the club looks balanced, but they still face the challenge of replacing middle-order weapon Laura Harris, who made a surprise move to the Thunder during the player movement window last December. However, to offset her departure, the Heat drafted powerful West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry last month.
The West Indian all-rounder was signed by the UP Warriorz in the last WPL as a replacement for Alyssa Healy. In her debut WPL season, she made a strong impact in the league with her powerful hitting and useful fast bowling. The powerful hitter scored at a strike rate close to 200 and smashed 15 sixes, ranking third on the list for most sixes in the season.
Redmayne, who has already played alongside Henry for Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League, is excited to see the impact the all-rounder will bring to the squad.
“She’s a tall girl, gets a lot of bounce with the ball, and she was great with the ball early on in the Powerplay for us last year in the CPL,” Redmayne said of Henry. She further talked about her impressive WPL performance, saying, “She’s also got a lot of power with the bat, which we’ve seen recently in the Women’s Premier League over in India.”
Reflecting on the loss of key players and the hard work the team has put in over recent seasons, she commented, “The fact that we keep taking a few hits, we lost a few players, and we still always seem to end up in finals. I’m pretty proud of the group for the resilience that they’ve shown in that space.”
The WBBL 11 season will kick off with a triple-header on Sunday, November 9, starting later than usual due to the 50-over World Cup in India, which concludes on November 2. The full season schedule is expected to be released next week.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
