Grace Harris has given the Australian women's cricket selectors a massive reminder of her big-hitting talent, with a WBBL individual record score of 136 not out and an amazing highlight against Perth Scorchers at North Sydney Oval.
Omitted from the national team for the recent T20 and ODI series against West Indies, Harris followed up an innings of 49 off 26 balls in Brisbane’s season opener with her third and highest WBBL century.
In her memorable 59-ball knock, Harris hit a WBBL individual innings record of 11 sixes, scoring at a strike-rate of 230 as the Heat racked up 7-229.
Perth were well placed at 1-99 after nine overs, but pacer Courtney Sippel (4-27 off four overs) scuppered the Scorchers hopes by taking thee wickets in four balls in the tenth, and they finished at 8-179.
Harris produced what will surely be one of the highlights of the season, swiping a six over long on despite the handle of her bat snapping off after she made contact.
The very next ball Harris repeated the shot with her new bat, which remained intact as the ball again flew over the rope.
"It was actually a bit loose at the beginning of the game and that's when they are at their best," Harris told Fox Sports about her broken bat.
Phoebe Litchfield, who successfully replaced Harris in the Australian team, showed on Sunday she had no intention of relinquishing her position.
Her sparkling 54 not out off 28 balls included successive sixes off the last two balls of the innings to help Sydney Thunder to 5-190 and ultimately a 42-run win over Sydney Sixers in the second half of the North Sydney double-header.
Sri Lankan Chamari Athapaththu also starred with 52 off 39 balls in a 98-run opening stand, and took 3-20 with the ball
The Sixers lost wickets at regular intervals, finishing at 9-148.
Only Ellyse Perry (31 off 16) and Erin Burns (29 off 16) threatened the Thunder, for whom captain and long-time England skipper Heather Knight took 3-27.
Litchfield acknowledged the quality of Harris’s innings and the threat she posed to her place in the Australian team.
“I watched all of it including the broken bat six, well played mate and you’re coming after my spot,” Litchfield told Harris on Fox Sports.
Litchfield also shone some light on the finger injury which kept Sixers and Australian captain and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy out of Sunday’s game and required surgery.
“It sounded like a pretty vicious dog attack, and I don’t know if this is public, just a lacerated finger I’m pretty sure, so hopefully she’s alright,” Litchfield said.
Healy posted an Instagram picture with a bandaged hand saying she appreciated all the love as she watched Sunday’s game from home.
Sixers head Rachael Haynes said the next fortnight would be important for Healy, but wasn’t sure how long she would be unavailable.
“I spoke to her family and she’s certainly in good spirits and we will be in the position probably over the next couple of days to clarify all the information around that,” Haynes told Fox.
