Hinkley and Hall sink Heat for Hurricanes

Brisbane Heat were made to pay for not batting out their overs as the lost at Launceston to the Hobart Hurricanes by 5 wickets. The Hurricanes had fielded well taking most of the catches that came their way. They still relied on a fifth-wicket partnership between Corine Hall and Mikayla Hinkley.

On a pitch that was on the slow side, the Hurricanes used their bowlers to good effect. Having reduced the Heat to 3 for 50 in the seventh over. With the big hitters gone much rested on the middle-order to propel the Heat to a big total.

Despite being bowled out for 129 the Heat were still confident of defending their total. The Hurricanes would need to chase a total that had never been achieved on this ground before in the WBBL.

Grace Harris top scored with 23 from 12 balls. It was the pair of English bowlers Alex Hartley and Heather Knight in the crucial middle overs that pegged the Heart back. Meg Phillips with 3 for 16 who was the pick of the bowlers.

The Heat came out with intent in the field early on. Grace Harris took two wickets in the fourth over dismissing Smriti Mandhana and Steff Daffara in the space of three balls. Erin Fazackerly and Heather Knight soon joined them.

The Hurricanes were in trouble at 4 for 29. Hinkley joined Hall in the middle and the pair set about steadying the ship. Both players looked to rotate the strike and get a measure of the pitch and the job at hand.

The run-rate was slowly creeping up but never out of reach as they matched the Heat innings. In a partnership of 98, it was Hall that was to fall before the job was done.

It was a patient innings by Hall with only three fours in her innings of 48 before she was stumped off the bowling of Grace Harris who would finish with figures of 3 for 23.

Hinkley was not even registered with a side going into the start of this campaign. Today she showed what she was capable of with a composed innings of 45 not out as the Hurricanes won with ten balls to spare.

It is only the second time that the Hurricanes have won this season. This result will have hurt the Heat as they had the chance to move into second place with Sydney Thunder losing earlier in the day.