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Harris out to emulate game's biggest hitters

Renegades allrounder taking inspiration from Maxwell and Lynn as she aims to go big in WBBL|02

Grace Harris is looking towards some of cricket's biggest hitters for inspiration as the Melbourne Renegades allrounder tries to make an impact with the bat in the Rebel Women's Big Bash League.

The 23-year-old Commonwealth Bank Southern Star has made a slow start to WBBL|02, managing just 31 runs from four innings to date.

But the star Renegades recruit is the only player to score a WBBL century and is one of the league's most dangerous batters.

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She blasted 103 from 55 balls a year ago for the Brisbane Heat.

"I don't so much look at other women batting - sometimes I watch the men," Harris said.

"I look at how I can play certain balls differently - I look at some shots and if they look kind of cool to play, I just want to have a crack at doing it.

"I'm not a person who's scared to fail ... I'd rather fail trying something and trying to improve.

"I'd rather fail having a go than just sitting in a safe zone."

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Given that philosophy, it is no surprise that Harris keeps a close eye on what Glenn Maxwell and Chris Lynn are doing at the crease.

"I don't mind Maxwell at the moment - I've had a look at some of his games, how he plays," she said.

"He's quite clever, he can manipulate fields and hit the same ball to different areas.

"But I like how he approaches the game in the nets, too - he's playing balls behind his back and he's just having a lot of fun."

Harris also pointed to Lynn's 101 from just 51 balls last December in the BBL.

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One of the keys for Harris is being able to hit the same delivery to different parts of the ground.

"I'm still at a stage where I'm learning my own game," she said.

"I'm still trying to stay a step ahead and keep improving my game, where I can score.

"I'm looking at scoring '360' at the moment - see how I can score all around the wicket to the same ball."

Harris also suspects she will soon have plenty of company at the top of WBBL scoring.

"Put it this way, I doubt I will be the only person to hit a ton - women's cricket is getting bigger and better," she said.

"The players are definitely getting more skilled and smarter about how they construct their innings.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few tons this season in the WBBL."

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