Brisbane Heat chase 87 in 5.4 overs as Hobart suffer sixth straight WBBL defeat

Brisbane Heat beat defending champions Hobart Hurricanes by ten wickets at Bellerive Oval on Saturday 14 November, finishing a WBBL run chase with 86 balls still available. Hobart were all out for 86 in 17.5 overs; Brisbane reached 88 without loss in just 5.4 overs, recording a fourth victory in six matches.

Grace Harris stayed unbeaten on 52 from 22 balls and Charli Knott finished 34 not out from 12. Their partnership contained 12 fours and four sixes, compared with only six boundaries in the entire Hobart innings. Brisbane's 62 runs in the powerplay set a competition record.

The opening five completed overs yielded 17,18,20,seven and 13 runs. Harris attacked immediately, and Knott completed the chase with consecutive fours. The emphatic result was the largest WBBL win measured by balls remaining, according to the competition's match report.

The result extended a rapid turnaround for the Heat: after 706 days without a win, they had now won four times in ten days and held third place. Hobart's season moved in the opposite direction, leaving the reigning title holders with six defeats and no wins.

Hobart were already 11 for three when captain Nicola Carey was bowled by Lily Bassingthwaighte, and later slipped to 42 for six. Number-nine batter Lauren Smith made the highest score of 20 before Knott bowled her to end the innings.

Player of the match Bassingthwaighte took three wickets for 25 runs in four overs. Sianna Ginger returned two for eight, Lucy Hamilton two for 15 and Sarah Glenn two for 16, keeping the Hurricanes under pressure before the openers settled the contest.

Illustrative cricket ball on grass, not equipment from the Brisbane-Hobart match.