Back-to-back defeats in WBBL grand finals have stung the Brisbane Heat who are banking on a stable off-season to fire their WBBL11 campaign
Georgia Redmayne believes the Brisbane Heat’s back-to-back WBBL heartbreaks will only increase their resilience as the star keeper-batter looks to help the two-time runners-up go a step further this season.
Redmayne, who has committed her long-term future to the Heat by signing a further two-year extension to her current contract, tying her to the club until at the least end of WBBL|13 in 2027, has won domestic T20 leagues in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean in recent years, but has yet to lift a Big Bash trophy.
The 31-year-old joined Brisbane after their back-to-back wins in WBBL|04 and |05, and while the Heat have been regular contenders during her time with the club, making the top four every season, they have yet to claim a third title.
Narrow defeats in the past two deciders against the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades cut deep, but Redmayne backed the team to respond in WBBL|11.
“To be able to make so many finals, we’ve got to be doing something right,” Redmayne said in Brisbane on Tuesday.
“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.
“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.”
The Heat made last year’s final at the MCG despite a host of off-season upheaval, which saw title-winning coach Ashley Noffke depart along with key players including New Zealander Amelia Kerr, and locals Georgia Voll and Courtney Sippel.
Going into WBBL|11, things have been more stable for the Brisbane club but they will nonetheless have to grapple with the loss of middle-order weapon Laura Harris, who made a shock move to the Thunder during the player movement window last December.
To try and counter her departure, the Heat drafted powerful West Indies allrounder Chinelle Henry last month.
Redmayne has played alongside Henry at Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League and is excited to see what she brings in teal.
“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’s also got a lot of power with the bat, which we’ve seen recently in the Women’s Premier League over in India.
“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 get underway with a triple-header on Sunday, November 9, with this year’s tournament starting later than usual due to the 50-over World Cup in India, which concludes on November 2.
The full season schedule is due to be revealed next week, while the Big Bash will also have a new look this summer after signing New Balance as the league’s new apparel sponsor, with new kits for WBBL|11 to be revealed in October.
