Brisbane Heat beat Melbourne Stars by nine wickets in a rain-affected match to book their place in the WBBL finals

Brisbane Heat secured their place in the WBBL finals with a nine-wicket win over the Melbourne Stars in a rain-affected game.

The Heat bowlers beat the Stars’ top batters on Friday in a match that was reduced to seven overs per team at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

The Stars made just 6-46 after losing their first four wickets in three runs – Heat duo Lucy Hamilton and captain Jess Jonassen took two wickets in 10 balls.

Brisbane improved to 1-47 after 5.2 overs as they look set to miss the final and remain well positioned to take top spot from table-toppers Sydney Thunder.

The Heat join the Melbourne Renegades on 12 points, one behind the Thunder.

The Renegades take on the Thunder on Saturday in their final game before the finals, while Brisbane’s final match is against the Sydney Sixers on Sunday.

After heavy rain delayed the start on Friday night, the last-place Stars scored 0-21 from their first two overs.

But the Heat’s speedy 18-year-old Hamilton, who destroyed the Stars 5-8 five days ago, was the tormentor again.

Hamilton took two wickets in three balls and then captain Jonassen took two more as the Stars fell from 0-21 to 4-24.

Hamilton finished 2-8 after two overs and Jonassen responded with 3-8 after two overs, with only two Stars batters – Reece McKenna (15) and Tess Flintoff (14 not out) – reaching double figures.

Brisbane remained unfazed in the run chase, with Grace Harris setting the tone by hitting the first three balls of the innings for four.

Harris (21 not out from 16 balls) and Laura Harris (11 from 8 balls) put on 34 runs for the first wicket as the Heat cruised to victory.

AARP