BH-W vs ST-W

And that’s a wrap for this thrilling contest, folks! This is Meeth Agrawal, signing off alongside my co-commentator Arya Sekhar Chakraborty.

We hope you enjoyed the action as much as we did, and we look forward to seeing you all in the WBBL 2024 final between Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat. It’s going to be a cracker! Until next time, goodbye and take care!

Grace Parsons is the Player of the Match, here is what she had to say: I think it will give confidence. We have string together a fair few good games and reaching the final is pretty special. She is a tough cookie. She will get through I guess. Get on to the flight to Melbourne tomorrow. Compose ourselves tonight and get on the plane tomorrow.

Brisbane Heat won by nine wickets

Georgia Redmayne - 50* (41) | Grace Parsons - 3/10
Hannah Darlington - 40* (29) | Samantha Bates - 1/25

And there you have it! The finalists of WBBL 2024 are confirmed. It's going to be between Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat!

Brisbane Heat have stormed into the finals of the 2024 WBBL with a resounding nine-wicket victory. It has been a chase where the pressure never really seemed to phase them.

Let’s start with that Heat chase. After losing Grace Harris early, it was a masterclass in calm and collected batting from Jemimah Rodrigues and Georgia Redmayne. But make no mistake. This wasn’t a straightforward chase. It’s been an absolutely ruthless innings from both players, and while Jemimah was dropped no fewer than three times, she made the Thunders pay for their mistakes.

Jemimah, as cool as a cucumber, was relentless in her pursuit of the target, and just when we thought she might be in discomfort after injuring her wrist earlier, she continued to steer the ship. She ended up on 43* before walking off retired hurt, but not before she had already caused plenty of damage. As for Georgia Redmayne, she was rock-solid at the other end. She played the anchor role to perfection with a half-century, taking the pressure off Jemimah with smart, controlled batting. Together, they turned what seemed like a tricky chase into an easy stroll.

Now, let’s take a moment to reflect on the first innings. It seemed like the Thunder were off to a decent start, especially thanks to Georgia Voll’s early blitz. But once the Heat spinners got into the game, the momentum shifted entirely. Grace Parsons and Jess Jonassen, brilliant with their variations, spun a web that the Thunder simply couldn’t break out of. They shared five wickets between them, and suddenly, the Thunders were staring down the barrel of a huge task.

But just as we thought all hope was lost, along came Hannah Darlington and Taneale Peschel, who absolutely unleashed in the death overs. Their unbroken partnership of 64* off 37 balls got them to a more respectable total of 133, but even that seemed a little light in the context of the chase. And it was. Heat made short work of the target in just 15.2 overs.

The Thunders will have to reflect on their missed opportunities, especially in the field, where Jemimah was let off three times. As they say, in big games like this, you can’t afford to leave the big players hanging.

And now, Heat head into the final, and what a final we have in store! 

15.2 Samantha Bates to Georgia Redmayne, FOUR! That's game set and match. Tossed-up fuller one a shade outside off, Redmayne swings through the line, lofts it over the mid-on fielder and off to the fence it goes. Brisbane Heat win by 9 wickets, Redmayne completes a well deserved half century. 

15.1 Samantha Bates to Georgia Redmayne, Redmayne comes down the track and throws her hands at the full one a shade outside off, cue ends it past the short third man fielder, comes back for a brace. 

Another big over from Brisbane Heat, 11 runs coming off it, and now they are just a maximum away from sealing their spot in the WBBL 2024 finals! 

14.6 Chamari Athapaththu to Georgia Redmayne, a tad shorter around the middle stump, pulled away towards the deep midwicket region and settles for a single. 

14.5 Chamari Athapaththu to Charli Knott, chops away the good-length delivery a shade outside off, down towards the cover fielder and a single taken. 

14.4 Chamari Athapaththu to Charli Knott, FOUR! Brisbane Heat doing it in a canter at the moment. Fuller-length around the middle stump, Knott moves her front leg across and paddles it away a bit aerially and the ball skips away to the fine leg fence. 

14.3 Chamari Athapaththu to Georgia Redmayne, flatter on a length a shade outside off, cut away from the crease down towards the deep point fielder and a single taken.  

14.1 Chamari Athapaththu to Georgia Redmayne, FOUR! Low full toss down leg and easy pickings for Redmayne yet again, gets down on one knee and sweeps it past the short fine leg fielder, the deep fielder had no chance. 

A tight over from Hannah Darlington, but it's still all Brisbane Heat at this stage. With just 17 runs needed off the final six overs, the chase is well within their reach. The pressure is mounting on Thunder, who need something spectacular in these remaining overs to pull off a comeback. But, unless Heat make a mistake, this game is theirs for the taking.

13.6 Hannah Darlington to Charli Knott, on a fullish-length around the middle stump, driven down the ground but straight to the mid-on fielder.

13.5 Hannah Darlington to Georgia Redmayne, pace-off back of a length delivery well outside off, Redmayne comes down the track and bunts it away towards the sweeper cover fielder for a single.