Charli Knott to take over captaincy duties for the rest of WBBL|11 as Jess Jonassen goes under the knife
Jonassen to undergo surgery, miss remainder of WBBL|11
Jess Jonassen will miss the remainder of the Weber WBBL|11 season, with the Brisbane Heat captain set to undergo shoulder surgery.
The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder had been managing issues with the AC joint in her right shoulder for several months through the early stages of the domestic season.
With the issue worsening in recent games, and with the Heat's season over, Brisbane medical staff and management have determined Jonassen requires an open excision of the AC joint.
Charli Knott will take over as skipper for the remaining three games of the season.
Jonassen is expected to be sidelined for around three months, leaving open the possibility that she could return for the end of the Women's National Cricket League season.
Queensland, who currently sit one point clear on top of the table, will play their final round matches against Victoria on March 12 and 14, ahead of the final on March 21.
Brisbane Heat squad v Strikers: Charli Knott (c), Lily Bassingthwaighte, Lucy Bourke, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry, Nadine de Klerk, Annie O’Neil, Georgia Redmayne, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mikayla Wrigley
The Heat's small remaining hopes of making the WBBL|11 top four were dashed by Friday's washed-out game against the Sydney Sixers.
The club, who finished runners-up the last two seasons and who had made seven WBBL finals series in a row, are yet to win a game seven matches into this tournament.
The loss of Jonassen will be a further blow to the young line-up's hopes of breaking that winless streak, following the departure of India star Jemimah Rodrigues, who has been released from the remainder of her contract.
South Africa's Nadine de Klerk will play her final game of the season on Sunday before flying home ahead of the Proteas' upcoming internationals against Ireland, and Grace Harris' availability has been hampered by ongoing management of her calf.
"Jess and the team have worked very hard to keep her playing, and her commitment to the team has been unquestioned," Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson said.
"The medical team has tried to manage her shoulder during the competition to help her keep playing, but it has got to the point where the best scenario is for surgery and give her plenty of time to return to her best ahead of next season.
"While Jess is recovering from her surgery, Charli Knott will captain the side for the remaining three games in the WBBL, and we certainly wish her every success with the team."
Adelaide Strikers squad v Heat: Tahlia McGrath (c), Jemma Barsby, Tammy Beaumont, Darcie Brown, Sophie Ecclestone, Ellie Johnston, Eleanor Larosa, Anesu Mushangwe, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Tabatha Saville, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt
Jonassen said she was disappointed to have to miss the final three games of the season.
"We had thought I could get through with the care and attention of our physio Jolandi Jacobs and the medical team, but that plan needed to change obviously as we got further into the competition," she said.
"It has certainly been a challenging time personally, especially as it became apparent that it was getting tougher to compete at the level I aspired to be at.
"But I'm very determined to bounce back from this and play some more good cricket once I have fully recovered.
"It’s encouraging to know that I will have the best possible support back home as I get back to full strength.
"It hasn’t been the tournament we had hoped for this time, but I have been very proud of the team and they way they have fought hard and competed in each of our games. I’m sure they will finish on a high note."
Knott will take over the captaincy for the first time for Sunday's match against the Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval, having previously been vice-captain this season as well as captain of Australia A earlier this year.
The Strikers will remain without Australia veteran Megan Schutt who is dealing with a hamstring issue, while the game will be Laura Wolvaardt's final appearance before she returns to South Africa.
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HUR
|
10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.662 | 0 | 15 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.313 | 0 | 13 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.132 | 0 | 12 |
|
4
STA
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.629 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
REN
|
10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.121 | 0 | 10 |
|
6
STR
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.077 | 0 | 9 |
|
7
THU
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -0.124 | 0 | 9 |
|
8
HEA
|
10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | -0.869 | 0 | 1 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points