2104dThe Report by Daniel Brettig

Warrior Mooney ensures Heat become champions

The wicketkeeper batsman made a sensational half-century while battling heat-induced exhaustion to end the Sixers' quest for a hat-trick of titles

Match Centre

"What a day!" Heat captain Kirby Short says. "I think that's been our method all season. We've believed in an 11 person performance and that's what has set us apart. We've had performances from various people, people like Laura Harris, which must have helped today. It's incredible to have support for women's sport generally, and for women's cricket as well. Thanks to Rebel Sport. And also to Fox and the broadcasters. Having a standalone final is really great. Also our main sponsors. As athletes we are always about improvement and I had a chat with the groundsman about what they did to change the pitch from last week and I thought the wicket was really good today. So thanks for hosting us. To Ellyse, there's a reason you're always in a WBBL final, and even when we only had a run a ball to get, you always pushed us so thank you for a great contest today. You're an incredible team. It was pretty quiet when we hit boundaries at the end of the innings and whatever cheer we had really made a difference so thank you. Proud is the word that comes to mind thinking about our team. We stood together as the Queensland Fire. And I said there was nothing harder that we would do than standing and sharing our thoughts back then. All the shirts in black, our support staff, thanks for keeping us on the park. For throwing a million balls at the nets;. We're all sincerely grateful. And girls, be proud that under the pump we stood up and became champions"

Beth Mooney is the Player of the Final. "Bit better now. Sat down for a bit" She's still red in the face! "I just told myself we need to stay in the middle and we needed a good partnership and Kirby and I generally do a good job of that. I was in the change room before with Kirby and she said I need to find some words to say to the team because I don't know what to say. They team's been really amazing. Several of them have come out of hteir shells and it's been a great pleasure to watch them evolve. But's been unbelievable. We've had some support come down from Brisbane, thanks very much for coming down"

Ellyse Perry is the Player of the Tournament scoring 777 runs in the season and going past 2000 WBBL runs overall. "Not going to talk about myself because I'm standing in front of an incredible crowd and I just like to thank every single person who's come out today. It's been phenomenal to see how this competition has taken off. It's been a true pleasure. To be honest, I thin the first seasons was the hardest, we played tow games in one day. It's such a fun comp to be part of. We play at the best time of the year. People enjoy themselves. We enjoy ourselves. Firstly, congratulations Brisbane, today you were by far the better team, it was a hug challenge for us. Congratulations today and also through the season. To our guys, hard luck, that's the way it goes. I'm incredibly proud of not just this year but our four years. It's not just the players but the entire support staff. We're very fortunate to have some of the best people working with us. I've been down here several days this week and it's been great to see all of you coming out and supporting us. Especially the young boys and girls who've come down. You make what we do really really special. Our families too. You've always had our backs. it's really nice to have you hear and have a home final. Thanks. Bummer that we lost but we'll be back next year"

"I didn't know whether that'd gone for four. It was all a bit of blur," Kimmice says. "We've got so many Sixers fans here. But there were tiny little groups going for us here and there and that makes it special"

"We were secretly hoping for a Renegades win last week to have a home final, but we'e really happy now" says Laura Harris

Her sister Grace says, "I back this team to win. We knew DK and Laura can finish it off strong. They did it in Cairns. I didn't think we'd even make finals to be honest. It's been unreal. It's bee na good comp. I relaly only started believing in the group in mid season. But we came out here and we won it"

"It's gonna take a bit to sink in. After last weekends semi-final, we're all sapped" says Johnson. "When you've got a team that's been in the final every year, they're hard ot beat. It's so good to see 5-6000 people coming out to watch"

That is the first time ever a Sydney team has failed to win the WBBL and it's all thanks to some splendid planning from the Brisbane Heat. They knew they had to bowl slow on a used surface. Then they kept their cool after two early wickets, with Beth Mooney scoring an unbelievable half-century. She was literally red in the face from the heat. She was losing more fluid than she was taking in - and she was taking them in every over. Having kept all through the 20 overs in the first innings, she batted out a further 14.5 to secure the highest score in a WBBL final - 65 off only 46 balls at a strike-rate of 141. That's insane on a slow pitch.

19.2
4
Kapp to L Harris, FOUR, what a shot! There's victory. Brisbane Heat are WBBL champions! Laura Harris, who has been striking it at 150 this tournament, has stood still. She sees the ball short. She knows she is good enough to wallop it to the boundary. There is deep square leg. There is deep midiwkcet. But Erin Burns and Sarah McGlashan are bisected and in the end they collide into each other while the ball sneaks through. What a game!
19.1
1
Kapp to Kimmince, 1 run, steps out to loft the ball over the bowler - and take the game - but only skews it to cover

Three on the leg side boundary. Everyone up on the off side barring third (wo)man, I think. Big chat between Perry and Kapp

END OF OVER:
19 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | BH-W: 127/7 (5 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.68, RRR: 5.00)

  • Delissa Kimmince1 (1b)
  • Laura Harris5 (9b)
  • Dane van Niekerk4-0-34-2
  • Erin Burns4-0-25-2

Heat need five for the title. Marizanne Kapp has four to defend. Drummonye is filled with pink flags. The PA is blasting "We Will Rock You". Its all on!

18.6
1
van Niekerk to Kimmince, 1 run, slaps to extra cover for a single.

Heat need six off seven now with Delissa Kimmince on strike

18.5
W
van Niekerk to Wolvaardt, 1 run, OUT, she's run-out! Whips a shorter delivery away between midwicket and long-on. Kapp's down there, the fast bowler's throw is inch-perfect and Healy this time breaks the bails off perfectly. Sixers back in it!

L Wolvaardt run out 9 (5b 1x4 0x6) SR: 180.00

18.4
4
van Niekerk to Wolvaardt, FOUR, what a strike! There's only long-off out for Wolvaardt who is superb through the covers. And on top of the field, she gets help from the bowler in the form of a full toss. All she needs to do is loft it over cover and she has a very important boundary
18.3
1
van Niekerk to L Harris, 1 run, steps out and just about reaches the intentionally wide delivery - van Niekerk hoping to get a stumping. Single to deep midwicket

Heat 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6BL MooneyGM Harris
2nd8BL MooneySJ Johnson
3rd84KL ShortBL Mooney
4th4JL JonassenBL Mooney
5th1JL JonassenJE Dooley
6th13L HarrisJE Dooley
7th10L WolvaardtL Harris
8th6DM KimminceL Harris