Charli Knott ton fires Brisbane Heat to first win in 706 days

At Drummoyne Oval in Sydney on November 5, Charli Knott struck her maiden T20 century to carry Brisbane Heat to a 14-run victory over Adelaide Strikers in the 10th match of the 2026 Women's Big Bash. It was the Heat's first win in 706 days, and Knott's knock of 104 off 61 balls, laced with 12 fours and four sixes, was the centrepiece of a total of 184 for 4.

Knott and skipper Grace Harris put on 57 runs for the opening wicket off just 11 balls before Harris departed. Georgia Redmayne, who came in next, was dismissed for 7, leaving Knott to anchor the innings. She then combined with Yastika Bhatia in a 64-run third-wicket stand that gave the innings its backbone. Knott reached her hundred in the 18th over off 56 balls, and Yastika was run out shortly after. Late contributions from Orla Prendergast and Annie O'Neil helped push the Heat past 150 and ultimately to 184 for 4.

In reply, Adelaide Strikers were set a target of 185. Maia Bouchier, who opened alongside Laura Wolvaardt, fell for a four-ball duck. Wolvaardt and Tahlia McGrath then added 30 runs off 31 balls for the second wicket before McGrath was dismissed for 13 off 16 balls.

Wolvaardt, who made 75 off 48 balls, then combined with Madeline Penna in a 77-run stand that kept the Strikers in the hunt. Penna contributed 68 off 45 balls, striking two fours in the final over, but the Strikers could not find the six they needed and finished on 170 for 5, falling 14 runs short. Lucy Hamilton bowled a tight penultimate over that left the Strikers needing 31 off the last, a task that proved beyond them despite Penna's late hitting.

How did Knott's innings shape the Heat's total?

Knott's 104 was the defining contribution in a Heat innings that built steadily through partnerships. The 57-run opening stand with Harris set an aggressive tone inside the first 11 balls, and even after Redmayne's early exit for 7, Knott kept the momentum going.

Her 64-run third-wicket alliance with Yastika gave the middle overs substance, and by the time she completed her hundred in the 18th over off 56 balls, the Heat were well placed. The finishing touches from Prendergast and O'Neil ensured the total climbed to 184 for 4, a score that ultimately proved enough by 14 runs.

Why could the Strikers not complete the chase?

Adelaide Strikers lost Bouchier without scoring, which placed immediate pressure on the top order. Wolvaardt's 75 off 48 balls and her 77-run stand with Penna kept the chase alive deep into the innings, but McGrath's dismissal for 13 off 16 balls after a 30-run second-wicket stand with Wolvaardt meant the Strikers were always slightly behind the rate.

Hamilton's tight penultimate over left the Strikers requiring 31 off the final over, and although Penna struck two fours, the side finished on 170 for 5, 14 runs adrift of the Heat's total of 184 for 4.