Queensland Cricket: Country trio for Heat

Australian Under-19 duo Sianna Ginger and Bonnie Berry and two-time Kath Smith Medallist Mikayla Wrigley will join the Heat for WBBL|14, with each of the Queensland Country cricket products signing their first full Big Bash contract.

Emerald fast bowler Berry, 18, was a replacement player for the Heat last season after previously training with the team over the past two seasons.

Ginger, an allrounder originally from Townsville, and Berry both come into the Heat squad after touring Sri Lanka with the Australian Under-19 team in April.

Ginger, 18, made her debut for the Queensland Fire in 2022-23 while still at school and has played 13 games in the Women’s National Cricket League including last season’s Final.

A right-arm pace bowler and right-hand middle order bat, she was included in the three-day Green v Gold red ball match at the end of the season alongside a host of promising young players.

Wrigley, 20, has twice won the Kath Smith Medal as the best and fairest player in the Queensland Premier Cricket Katherine Raymont Shield competition and was also the Queensland Country Player of the Year last season.

A batter and wicket-keeper with the Sunshine Coast Scorchers, she was selected in the Australian Country Cricket team last summer after helping the Queensland Country Brolgas to their first Toyota Australian Country Cricket title in Newcastle.

Wrigley was awarded her inaugural Queensland Fire contract earlier this season after producing back-to-back Premier Cricket seasons where she scored 750-plus runs in the Katherine Raymont Shield.

Berry, who learned her cricket in Rockhampton, plays first grade for the Sunshine Coast Scorchers and was a Queensland Fire squad member last season.

Each of the trio has been a Queensland Under-19 representative, with Ginger and Berry playing in the 2021-22 national championship team captained by Heat teammate Charli Knott.

WBBL Heat head coach Mark Sorell, who worked with each of the players in the Queensland pathways system, expressed his delight at injecting the talented trio into the mix for the Heat.

“They will bring great energy and positivity to the group, as well as developing their skills further,’’ he said.

“Bonnie has been pushing for a chance for a few seasons now, Sianna has shown with the Fire that she is ready to take the next step on her cricketing pathway and Mikayla has flourished every step of the way in our system so far,’’ he said.

“Adding a pace bowler, all-rounder and another keeper/batter is a boost for our overall depth and will assist with team balance when it comes to our selections,” he said.

WBBL Heat captain Jess Jonassen said she was excited to have the future of Queensland Cricket on hand for this season’s WBBL.

“It’s awesome to have them in the squad,’’ she said.

“We are all about opportunity in the Heat, and having three such talented players choosing to take that chance with us bodes well for the future.”

“Opportunities shapes your overall squad make-up, and we are seeing players all over the country look at what and where their options are and ultimately make decisions based on that.”

“Having watched Sianna, Bonnie and Mikayla emerge, it is rewarding to see how they have come through the pathways from regional centres. I’ve no doubt they will do well if they are called on for the Heat this summer,” Jonassen said.

WBBL|10 Brisbane Heat squad (to date): Bonnie Berry, Nadine de Klerk (Int), Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Ellie Johnston, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Georgia Redmayne, Mikayla Wrigley