Wyatt-Hodge paves the way for Hurricanes' record pursuit

Hobart Hurricanes secured a convincing victory against Brisbane Heat, scoring 176 for 3 with standout performances from Wyatt-Hodge who scored 62 runs. In response, Brisbane Heat managed 173 for 5, with G Harris top-scoring with 75 runs and Rodrigues contributing 45 runs.

England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge did the heavy lifting as Hobart Hurricanes completed a record-breaking chase of 174, ending Brisbane Heat's undefeated start to the WBBL season.

A knock of 75 from Grace Harris, who opened for Australia at the recent World Cup when Alyssa Healy was injured, lifted Heat to a total of 173 for 5 at Melbourne's Junction Oval on Saturday.

It looked to be a competitive target but Hurricanes, having put down four catches, quickly seized control and secured a seven-wicket win with two balls remaining.

Wyatt-Hodge smashed 62 from 35 deliveries, earning player-of-the-match honours on what was comfortably a record-breaking day for Hurricanes. Their previous best WBBL chase came in October 2021, when they hauled in a target of 145 against Melbourne Stars. Wyatt-Hodge, among the most experienced T20 players in the world, and fellow opener Lizelle Lee set a sizzling pace while sharing a 55-run stand in the opening six overs.

"I thought the pitch was a little bit on slow side. I just kept it simple really, if the ball was in my areas then go for it," Wyatt-Hodge told broadcasters Fox Cricket. "Just play attacking cricket but being smart about it. I thought that was probably about par. We knew we could chase that if we put our minds to it and get our heads down. Me and Lizzie just wanted to make the most of the powerplay and stick to our strengths ... keep things simple and play aggressive cricket."

Lee's dismissal for 38 failed to curb the momentum of Wyatt-Hodge, who struck six fours and three sixes in her game-changing innings. Heat removed Nicola Carey, victim to a sensational catch from Nadine de Klerk, and Wyatt-Hodge then continued to rally, leaving Hobart with a tricky equation of 33 runs from the final three overs.

Legspinner Grace Parsons' economical haul of 1 for 15 from four overs, including the all-important scalp of Wyatt-Hodge, gave Heat genuine hope of victory. But Elyse Villani's reverse-swept boundary, her second four in a dramatic final over delivered by Charli Knott, secured the win.