Allan Border Field Archives

WBBL10 Challenger: Brisbane Heat, Sydney Thunder Battle for Spot at The Final

Brisbane Heat, riding high on a five-game winning streak, are set to host the Sydney Thunder this Friday, 29 November, in the WBBL10 Challenger at Allan Border Field. With a spot in Sunday’s final against the Melbourne Renegades at stake, both teams are gearing up for a thrilling contest—first ball is at 7:15 p.m.

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Local stars drive Heat’s finals charge

Despite pre-season doubts following significant roster changes, the Heat have silenced their critics by storming into their seventh consecutive finals series. Captain Jess Jonassen attributes their success to a strong Queensland core, emerging talent, and an international superstar.

“I think the only people that were concerned were those from outside these walls,” Jonassen says. “I feel like we’ve proved a few of the doubters wrong, but we’re by no means done proving that point.”

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The Heat’s resilience has shone through rising stars like Lucy Hamilton, who has claimed 10 wickets in her last three games, and Grace Parsons, with seven wickets in her debut season. The team’s local backbone remains intact with the dynamic duo of Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris at the top of the order, supported by Laura Harris and Charli Knott in the middle.

India’s Shikha Pandey has also been a key addition, earning recognition as the sole Heat player named in the Team of the Tournament. “Having the international class of someone like Shikha Pandey around, who can talk fast bowling, talk tactics, talk plans… that’s something that’s really added a lot of value to our pace bowling attack,” Jonassen added.

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Thunder bring former Heat star home

Adding to the excitement is the return of Georgia Voll, who left the Heat for the Thunder to seek more opportunities. The 21-year-old opener, named in the Team of the Tournament and fresh from her first Australian ODI call-up, faces her former teammates on home turf.

“I always wanted to open—you look at Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne, they’ve done the job for the Heat over the last couple of years.”

“It was always going to be tough for me to nail down a spot, and last year I was up and down the order, which was quite tough.”

Momentum points to thriller in WBBL10 Challenger

The Thunder enter the match buoyed by their victory over the Hobart Hurricanes in The Knockout, while the Heat have strung together five consecutive wins since their last defeat—ironically, against the Thunder on 7 November. In that match, Sam Bates claimed four wickets, and Phoebe Litchfield’s explosive 40 off 25 balls proved decisive.

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With light rain forecast for Friday in Brisbane, the match is expected to proceed as scheduled, with the first ball at 7:15 p.m. AEDT. If weather intervenes, the higher-ranked Heat will advance to the final.

Brisbane faithful are in for an electric atmosphere at Allan Border Field—with the Heat chasing their fourth WBBL final in seven years and the Thunder eyeing their first finals appearance since WBBL06, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Published 28-November-2024

Unfinished Business: Brisbane Heat Eye WBBL Glory in Landmark 10th Season

After falling three runs short in last season’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) final and suffering a recent last-ball defeat in the Spring Challenge decider, the Brisbane Heat enter their tenth WBBL campaign with redemption firmly in their sights. The Heat’s journey begins this Saturday, 27 October, where last season ended—against the defending champion Adelaide Strikers.

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Spring Challenge Final sets tone for season rivalry

The Brisbane Heat’s path to WBBL10 was marked by a dramatic last-ball defeat in the inaugural T20 Spring Challenge final against the Hobart Hurricanes. After electing to bat, the Heat found themselves restricted to 133, with Sianna Ginger leading the scoring with a determined 24. The Hurricanes’ duo of Ruth Johnston (4-20) and Molly Strano (3-31) proved particularly challenging for the Heat’s usually potent batting lineup.

With the Heat bowling and the Hurricanes needing three runs in the final over, Ginger’s tight start—two dot balls—almost pulled off an improbable win for Brisbane. However, with one run needed off the final delivery, Emma Manix-Geeves pierced the gap at backward point, sealing a five-wicket victory for Hobart.

Key matches for the Brisbane Heat

The Brisbane Heat schedule includes three home fixtures at Allan Border Field and one at The Gabba, offering fans multiple opportunities to support the team.

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Here are the key matchups to watch:
• Opening day finals rematch against the Adelaide Strikers (27 October)
• Home opener at Allan Border Field with a night clash against the Melbourne Renegades (30 October)
• A highly anticipated Hurricanes rematch at CitiPower Centre (2 November), reigniting the Spring Challenge rivalry
• The historic Gabba return against the Strikers (9 November), marking the first WBBL match at the venue in six years
• Western swing featuring back-to-back matches at WACA Ground against the Perth Scorchers (5 November) and the Sydney Thunder (7 November)
• Season finale against the Sydney Sixers at Allan Border Field (24 November)

For the full schedule and match details, visit the Brisbane Heat Women’s official schedule.

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With the tournament condensed to 43 matches including knockouts, every game carries increased significance in the race for the title. The Heat’s campaign could extend to 1 December, should they qualify for the final, as they aim to capture their third WBBL title and go one better than their runner-up finish in WBBL09.

Published 23-October-2024

Queensland Cricket Sounds Alarm Over Gabba’s Revamp, Proposes Renovation of Allan Border Field

Artist interpretation of Queensland Cricket’s vision | Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket / qldcricket.com.au

Queensland Cricket’s Chairman Chris Simpson, and Chief Executive Terry Svenson have proposed a revitalisation of Allan Border Field. The proposed revamp is to be done ahead of the comprehensive reconstruction of the Gabba, in preparation for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Queensland Cricket recently called for a significant renovation of Allan Border Field citing the Gabba’s unavailability during rebuild, scheduled to commence in December 2025.

The Gabba is in line for a substantial upgrade that comes with an estimated price tag of AUD$ 2.7 billion, as it assumes the central role for the 2032 Olympic Games.

An open letter from Queensland Cricket expresses these concerns, stating in part that: “As a result, we face the real prospect of losing important Test and BBL cricket matches from Queensland to interstate venues during the pre-Olympic displacement from the Gabba and hold a reasonable fear that a suitable solution to enable continuity of matches in Brisbane may not meet our needs or expectations.”

They further said that, “as a not-for-profit body, our concerns encompass the effect such uncertainty could have on participation throughout Queensland and the ensuing material financial impact across multiple areas of the sport, including at the grass roots level. We are preparing ourselves for a worst-case scenario where cricket could face the loss of access to the Gabba for potentially greater than seven years during the period of demolition, construction, and post-Games return.”

At present, Allan Border Field serves as the host venue for women’s international matches, the Women’s Big Bash League, and domestic fixtures. Simpson and Svenson advocate for strategic enhancements to enable the facility to broaden its hosting scope, deeming this approach the most sensible, cost-effective, and timely course of action for the sport.

“We see the Allan Border Field precinct playing a major role in hosting more cricket while the Gabba is being redeveloped, while other options presently available to cricket will mitigate some of the displacement challenges, including Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast and regional centres.”
Queensland Cricket

“Queensland Cricket will strongly advocate for top level cricket (Test Matches, Women’s, and Men’s Big Bash League (W/BBL), ODIs, T20Is) to continue to be played in Brisbane during those seasons when the Gabba is unavailable. The most efficient, cost-effective, and timely option to enable this is for Allan Border Field to be upgraded with a capacity of 10,000 permanent seats.”

Their vision for the Albion site entails expanding its seating capacity to 10,000 permanent seats—an impressive increase of 3,500 from its existing capacity of 6,500. Notably, Allan Border Field is already equipped with a fixed wicket block and cricket-specific infrastructure, encompassing elements such as sight screens, a vision screen, field lighting, and broadcasting necessities. The facility also includes outdoor and indoor training amenities.

In the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Gabba is designated to host athletics competitions as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Published 13-August-2023

National Cricket Campus Development in Albion Begins Stage C

Stage C of the National Cricket Campus development in Albion has begun, comprising improvements for the Allan Border Field and Ray Lindwall Oval. The project aims to transform the popular sports site into a world-class facility to be used by various teams and community clubs.

The $18.8 million National Cricket Campus project has been funded by Australian and Queensland Governments, Brisbane City Council, Cricket Australia, Queensland Cricket and Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club. Hutchinson Builders is the principal contractor for the project and has successfully completed the delivery of Stage A and B on Shaw Road in December 2020.

Stage C of this development will deliver the following features:

Five new international wickets, including a subcontinent preparation pitch.
An extended Allan Border Field boundary size.
Terrace seating and a new electronic scoreboard.
New lighting for training areas.
A new amenity building to include change rooms, ground manager’s office and high-performance offices.
Improved drainage and turf facility management to allow for 365-day-a-year field usage.

Whilst development is ongoing, teams and clubs may use the new training fields on Shaw Road.

“Brisbane is increasingly seen as the home of cricket in Australia. But this project is exciting not only for the city, but for the entire cricket community around the country,” MP Trevor Evans said. Mr Evans was at the sod-turning ceremony on 22 July.

“These new facilities will ensure that all our cricketers have the amenities and playing grounds to thrive, as well nurture our next generation of Tim Paines and Meg Lannings”.

Stage C is expected to finish by May 2022. Once the Campus fully opens, it is expected to boost economic activity in Brisbane when international and national training programs begin. The National Cricket Campus will be open year-round.