Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
A lot can change in a year, and for WBBL Brisbane Heat batter Georgia Voll, the differences between the Weber Women’s Big Bash League then and now has been all for the better.
The 19-year-old Voll continues to build her case as one of the country’s most promising batters, with lead-in form to this season’s tournament amply illustrating her potential.
Not that her WBBL campaign last season was a downer by any means. In WBBL|07, Voll played 14 games for the Heat as they made the finals and produced some flashes of brilliance along the way.
However her preparation and opening efforts this summer have her poised to break-out for the Heat, with the lure of national representation somewhere in the background.
A sparkling 145 for the Queensland Fire in the Women’s National Cricket League set the scene and then the opening game for the Heat in the WBBL gave ample indication that WBBL|08 is her time to flourish.
With the bat, she hit a measured 32 from 39 balls against the Sydney Sixers, and was then mildly critical of her efforts when quizzed by broadcasters during the game.
Her captain Jess Jonassen made sure to acknowledge her standing though, in light of her bold offer to bowl the final over of the innings after Brisbane had to manage the new PowerSurge playing conditions and a rampant Sixers batting chase.
It was the first time Voll had bowled in the WBBL, and she did not let her team down.
Even though the Sixers Matalin Brown hit the winning boundary off the second last ball, Voll’s return of 1-9 almost snatched a thrilling win.
“I mean how good was Volly?’’ Jonassen said. “She came to me and said, ‘I’ll bowl it – I can do it.’ And you know, she almost got the W for us.’’
“I love working with the young players like ‘Volly’, Charli Knott, Ellie Johnston and Courtney Sippel because they want to take the game on and improve.”
Away from cricket, Voll has also enjoyed her first year out of school, where her final exams last year coincided with the WBBL campaign. She spent many extra hours training alongside former Heat and Fire teammate Beth Mooney during the off-season, where she also doubled as a dog and house sitter during Mooney’s international commitments.
Additionally, she is completing work experience with the Heat digital media team.
Voll is typically modest about how she is placed to benefit from an eye-catching WBBL campaign with spots beginning to open up in the national squad.
“It seems a long way off to me to be honest,’’ she said. “While I am enjoying having a bit more responsibility in the batting and the team overall, there is still a lot to learn.”
“But working with ‘JJ’ (Jess Jonassen), and Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris is very rewarding and so I can concentrate on doing my best and helping out the team.
Name of Author: Brisbane Heat
The Brisbane Heat are an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL), representing both men’s and women’s cricket. Based in Brisbane, Queensland, the Heat succeeded the Queensland Bulls, who played in the former KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. The team wears a teal uniform and plays at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as The Gabba.
