Jonassen fit after rollercoaster summer

The life of an elite sportsperson is often a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but calling Jess Jonassen’s breakthrough season one of contrasting fortunes would be an understatement.

The Queensland allrounder, who made her Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars debut in 2012, produced her most consistent Women’s National Cricket League season in the first half of the 2014-15 summer when she amassed 197 runs at 49.25 and took 11 scalps at 13.36 in just five games.

It was enough for the Konica Minolta Queensland Fire rising star to take out the WNCL Player of the Year award, despite missing the second half of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

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While missing the WNCL finals was a bitter blow for Jonassen, the left-arm spinner has completed a successful few months of rehabilitation and recently resumed skills training ahead of the Southern Stars’ women’s Ashes campaign.

“It’s going really well and I haven’t had any issues with my knee for a while, which is good,” Jonassen said.

“I’m just hoping it stays that way.”

Image Id: ~/media/E6CF8534C3D04FA4BA8F20C2A0C60010Jonassen bats against West Indies // Getty Images

While Jonassen was disappointed her season – which included figures of 4-19 against the Breezair SA Scorpions and a half-century against the Tradies ACT Meteors – was cut short, surgery was necessary to ensure she had enough recovery time to be fit for the start of the Ashes in July.

“It was frustrating because I missed the finals, but I had the Ashes in mind and I wanted to make sure I left myself plenty of time in case the rehab didn’t go to well,” she said.

“It was the right decision for me at the time as well.”

Despite the disappointment of not being able to assist Queensland in their WNCL finals campaign, Jonassen said being named the WNCL’s player of the year as “a huge honour”.

“I guess it’s the most consistent year I’ve had … I see myself as a bit of a bowling all-rounder so it’s good to contribute with both bat and ball,” she said.

“It was pleasing that I was able to put consistent performances on the board because that’s something I had struggled with in recent times.”

While Jonassen rates her 2014-15 season as her most consistent, the 22-year-old’s career to date has not been lacking highlights.

Jonassen caught the attention of coaches and selectors from early age, captaining Queensland’s Under-15 girls team to the national title for the first time in 2006-07 and being named player of the tournament.

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She made her first Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars team aged 15 and at 18, was named the Queensland Fire’s player of the year.

Her batting as gone from strength to strength since she was elevated up the batting order in 2010-11, and Jonassen has cemented a regular place in the Southern Stars since her debut in 2012.

Image Id: ~/media/6ECC29AA7B354A448B7067BE84057E20Jonassen has already tasted a lot of success with Australia // Getty Images

Jonassen’s resume also includes a successful women’s World T20-winning campaign in 2014 and series wins over New Zealand, India, Pakistan and West Indies, but the Queenslander is yet to experience an Ashes win, having been part of the Southern Stars teams which lost 12-4 in the British Isles in 2013, before a 10-8 defeat to England at home six months later during the 2013-14 series.

The Women's Ashes works on a points system – this year a Test match victory will be worth four points with two points on offer in each of the limited-overs games.

“That’s a major goal heading into this next one, to bring the Ashes back home and hopefully play a key part individually in that as well to contribute to that,” Jonassen said.

The Southern Stars kicked off their preparations for the Ashes with training camp in May and will head to England in mid-July, ahead of the first ODI in Taunton on July 21.

The Ashes series will feature three ODIs, one Test and three T20s, with Australia to also meet Ireland in three 20-over matches.