Amazing Grace! Harris destroys SA

[Glasgow]

Allrounder Grace Harris has had a day to remember for Queensland Fire in the Women's National Cricket League, blasting a staggering century and collecting five wickets in her side's crushing win over South Australia in Hobart.

Harris, considered one of the most fearsome hitters in the women's game, opened the batting and proceeded to blitz a spectacular 162 from just 114 deliveries.

The innings was the backbone of Queensland's 326 from 50 overs and included 25 fours and five sixes.

Harris then took the new ball and immediately had the Midas touch – she removed Scorpions opener Bridget Patterson with her first ball and dismissed five of the top seven batters to finish with figures of 5-18.

The win was much needed for Queensland, who move into fourth position on the WNCL ladder, while South Australia sit bottom after four matches.

Harris, who scored the first-ever Rebel Women's Big Bash hundred back in 2015, had returned scores of 1, 15 and 14 in the matches prior, but after a strong pre-season in which she was largely able to shake off an ongoing knee injury, she sent a warning out to Queensland's rivals via the Brisbane Premier Cricket competition.

Playing for Wests, the 25-year-old crashed two hundreds and a record-breaking 200 from just 152 deliveries in the space of four matches.

"I opened the batting with my club side and got to play with a bit of freedom, with only two fielders out, which is really good for me, because I know if I swing hard enough it'll go straight over the ring," she told cricket.com.au recently.

"I needed to be able to back up what I was talking about in practice, which was about me playing the way that I want to.

"We all want to score runs, and do it quickly, but I've become a player who needs less chat and more action.

"I think in the past it was the other way around, which is just about knowing my game more this season.

"I'm a little bit older now, I know where I can hit the ball and how far I can hit it."