Evolving Harris 'about to explode': Noffke

Brisbane Heat coach Ashely Noffke feels last summer's WBBL|05 tournament was a development phase in the career of Grace Harris, who he believes is "about to explode" with the bat.

The two-time defending champs head to Sydney today with Harris in startling form; in a T20 double header for Premier Cricket club Wests a fortnight ago, the right-hander smashed 230 runs across two innings from just 118 deliveries, including a record-breaking 162 from 69 balls that featured a dozen sixes.

Last summer's WBBL campaign was a disappointing one for Harris individually, as she averaged 17.66 with the bat after finding herself in the middle order as part of a reshuffle.

"She definitely didn't have her best WBBL last year but I can see some big things coming," Noffke told cricket.com.au recently. "We've had 12 months investment into Grace, I'd like to say that she's about to explode – that's what I'd love for her.

"She's definitely more level than she was last year, I can see it in her eyes; she's connected and engrossed in our group, and I can push her and she doesn't bite as much as she used to."

The departure of Australia opener Beth Mooney to Perth leaves a gaping hole at the top of the Heat's order for this season. However, Noffke insists he won't necessarily elevate Harris into that position; true to his philosophy of individual match-ups being the key determinant in batting-order decisions, the 27-year-old will need to be flexible.

It is a requirement she has been working toward since finding herself in the middle order last summer, and a key part of that flexibility is restraint; for a batter with the power game of Harris, she has needed to train herself to assess a match situation and not go big "simply because I can".

"By the end of WBBL|05, I was feeling a bit more comfortable in the middle (order) and what the role needed," she told cricket.com.au recently. "I'd gone from (being) a wrecking ball up front and then I tried to transfer into the middle order just thinking, I'm still going to be used as a pinch hitter – because I've been used as a pinch hitter my entire career.

"But (Noffke) dragged me aside one training session and just said, 'We want you to invest more time in it – we want you to invest in the middle order and be a genuine batter'."

Harris said she was willing to buy into Noffke's ideas during the head coach's first season in charge due to his analytical approach and the fact he had statistical evidence supporting his views.

So she committed to evolving her game and soon noticed the changes bearing fruit, first via a measured and ultimately match-winning 43 against the Hurricanes in Tasmania, and then more notably in the WBBL semi-final in Brisbane where, coming in at No.4, she combined with Jess Jonassen to all-but steer the Heat to victory with a fine 42 from 27 balls.

"I started seeing the way she'd been working really hard on understanding the game style we were going to play as a team, and understanding her role in it," Noffke said. "I saw that starting to evolve … and I was happy. It was just, 'Oh wow, she's got this'.

"I could see that in Tassie (last season against the Hurricanes). I knew she was starting to think about, OK, what does the team need from me to get the win?

"As soon as Gracie starts thinking that 100 per cent of the time, gee we're going to see some performances."

Harris has taken to the new challenge with alacrity, and while her recent fireworks in Premier Cricket were perhaps the product of a simpler game plan, the experienced batting allrounder looks well placed to make an impact in WBBL|06.

And in a side that has been shorn of its main source of runs in Mooney, she will be expected to be a more consistent contributor.

"We've been developing that (skills and intelligence) part of my game since then, (and) even currently, because (Noffke) said, 'You're better skill-wise than what you give yourself credit for – you're better than that (pinch hitter) role'," she added.

"So he does want me to develop into a genuine batter (who can play from) opener (to) number six, and he wants me to be able to adapt to any scenario I'm thrown into.

"Moving forward, that's what I'm chasing."