Jess Jonassen admits to not having any clear plan against Hannah Darlington

“Very disappointing. Probably just came down to the fact that we didn’t have any clear plans on how we take on Darlington,” Jonassen told reporters after the match. “She bowled exceptionally well in the crunch time in the innings. Probably in the last six of seven games, we were finding ways to win from those positions.

“But unfortunate that, we were losing set batters in tricky times and nobody was able to come in and rotate the strike and what not after that,” she said. The young Thunder spinner dismissed Jonassen and then took two wickets in an over towards the end as Heat were all out of 131 in 18.5 overs.

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“We were really confident at that halfway point that we were able to chase that 140-odd. We got very close, then sort of slipped at the end where the pressure got to us. Credit to some of the Thunder bowlers, they executed their plans very well.”

If Heat had won, they would have made it three finals in consecutive years having won the title in the previous two seasons. “We are very proud as a group to where we got because people wrote us off before the competition so to get a position that we did, the group is incredibly proud, we know we would be better for the season this year and better for experience,” she added.

Laura Kimmince has played some quickfire knocks in the tournament coming in at crunch situations. On Thursday too she did the same including two fours and two sixes in a Lauren Smith over. “For Laura, the more attacking and aggressive she is, the better it is for our side. She is just continuing to grow and continuing to win as well,” Jonassen said of Kimmince.

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“She got off to a tricky and a tough start to the tournament, so the way she responded and played some beautiful cameos for us. This wasn’t meant to be our time this year.” The captain also spoke highly of Nadine de Klerk and reasoned her promotion at No.3.

“She is an incredible ball striker. The way she was batting in the nets leading up in the last few weeks and I guess when she was able to get a chance in the batting order, she just hit the ball cleanly and put a lot of pressure on so we sort of thought that potentially it’s not a matter of planning done for Nadine.

“Maybe could take her by surprise, she is just 20 years old, to be able to come in a pretty big game in a new tournament and execute the way she did, I am glad that she played for us this year,” she explained. Heat played five players were under 23 years of age – de Klerk, Amelia Kerr, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Voll and Charli Knott.

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Speaking about the prospect of these young players in the future years, Jonassen sounded excited. “You have got someone in Georgia Voll coming in and the way she strikes the ball, she didn’t look at it. I am very excited about the future of the franchise, the likes of those players – Voll, Charli Knott and Nadine as well, it’s incredible. Like I have said, we will be better for the experience,” she said.

Jonassen was also asked about her former teammate Sammy-Jo Johnson who is playing for Thunder this year and is also the highest wicket-taker in the tournament till now (20).

“I know the caliber of players Sammy-Jo is, particularly with the bowling, she is able to be quite versatile. I guess that’s what has helped her to be the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.  She has been able to come in a different part of the innings and make an impact.  She has got a lot of versatility in her and that what any team would like to have her,” Jonassen concluded.