Legspinner Grace Parsons of the Brisbane Heat made history by defeating the Melbourne Renegades by 28 runs in just her second WBBL game.
After Renegades got off to a quick start in pursuit of the Heat’s 169 for 8 at Allan Border Field, the 21-year-old turned the tide of the match by catching 3 for 22 in four overs.
With the victory, the Heat began a season with back-to-back victories for the first time in WBBL history.
West Indies star Hayley Matthews (35 off 28) gave Renegades a fast start, and Parsons took two wickets in her first over, her first WBBL victims.
She claimed that studying with Amelia Kerr, a former Heat legspinner and T20 World Cup hero for New Zealand, had improved her skills.
“Learning off Amelia the last three years has been really special because she is the best to do it,” Parsons stated to AAP. “Cameron Boyce is our spin bowling coach at the Heat, and he is fantastic at what he does. It has been great to pick his brain.
“It was a long countdown to Big Bash but I got here in the end and it was super special to play my debut game at Allan Border Field.”
Earlier, the seasoned Heat combination of Lauren Winfield-Hill and Georgia Redmayne set up the innings by combining 66 from 46. Redmayne hit her first four boundaries with style and was vicious square of the wicket.
Winfield-Hill punished anything loose while rotating the strike.
Before Dottin gained an edge from Redmayne and the home team fell to 86 for 4, Charli Knott, who the match officials named player of the match against the Adelaide Strikers in the season opener, holed out for only one.
Swashbuckling With a fast-paced innings that included a cut over point for six, Laura Harris (31 off 16) raised the stakes as only she can.
Heat captain Jess Jonassen led the team to a competitive total by finishing undefeated on 25.
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