Mooney's maths to thank for record ton

Brisbane Heat star Grace Harris admits she has opening partner Beth Mooney’s maths skills to thank for her record-breaking Rebel WBBL century at the Gabba on Wednesday.

Harris smashed an unbeaten 101 from just 42 deliveries against the Melbourne Stars, posting the fastest WBBL ton in the process.

In a dramatic finish as the Heat pursued the Stars' 7-132, Harris had reached 91 when the Heat required just six runs for victory.

Three singles – two to Harris, one to Mooney – then took the former to 93 with three runs required.

She ran two from the next delivery she faced and attempted to take the winning single next ball, only to be sent back by Mooney.

Two dot balls followed leg-spinner Alana King, before Harris found the middle with a huge six over long on to seal the win and the century.

“It was Mooney who did all the maths while we were out there, I kind of wanted to finish the game early so I was going for sixes anyway,” Harris said following Brisbane’s 10-wicket win.

“And then 'Moons' really told me to pull my head in (because) she wanted to do it the right way and to finish with the hundred.

“She was chatting me through that bit … so that’s all her work, that’s the only way I got the hundred there.”

In scoring the record-breaking century – which was also the second fastest T20 century by a woman behind Deandra Dottin’s 38-ball effort at the 2010 WT20 – Harris became the first Australian woman to score two T20 centuries.

This WBBL season is already shaping up to be a game-changer for Harris.

The Queensland allrounder lit up WBBL|01 with the competition’s first-ever century, the same period in which she enjoyed a stint in the national team playing nine ODIs and 11 T20Is.

But a combination of injuries – including a bout of DVT that ruled her out of the 2016 World T20 – and form concerns saw her dropped from the Australian team in late 2016.

What followed were two disappointing WBBL seasons; she scored 127 runs at 12.70 in WBBL|02 during a one-year stint with the Melbourne Renegades before shifting back to the Heat in WBBL|03, where she was limited to just four matches due to injury.

But the brash 25-year-old, who also bowls off-spin, has re-emerged as one of the game’s most potent weapons with the bat this summer.

She smashed a 114-ball 162 for Queensland in the Women’s National Cricket League in November and broke the record for fastest WBBL half-century in the Heat’s clash against the Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval on December 9, on her way to 54 from 28 deliveries.

Harris currently has 182 runs at 45.50 from five innings, those runs coming at the incredible strike rate of 221.95, well above that of her nearest rival, India and Thunder superstar Harmanpreet Kaur (169.09).

Harris explained post-match she’d added a new shot to her armoury that’s allowing her to more regularly clear the fence, while she’s also put her form down to the fact she’s fitter than ever and injury free.

“I’ve been working on a back-of-a-length baseball-type slog, so when it comes to my hip I can just have a swing and clear the fence,” Harris said.

“I’m feeling pretty strong and I’ve been doing a lot of rehab stuff and strength work in the gym.

“I’m also the most relaxed I’ve been.”

The Brisbane Heat now travel to Sydney to meet the Sixers in what looms as a mouth-watering clash between two of the competition’s form teams at the SCG on Saturday.