Chinelle Henry stepped off the long flight to Brisbane with mixed emotions—delight at a first Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) contract, concern for friends and family back home in Jamaica still reeling from Hurricane Melissa. Selected by Brisbane Heat during September’s inaugural overseas draft, the 30-year-old all-rounder is expected to add late-innings muscle and handy medium-pace to last season’s runners-up.
“Every time I pick up my phone .. it’s the first thing I see and there’s not really much I can do but send support,” Henry said soon after touching down. “It’s a really hard time for people in Jamaica who’ve lost a lot due to this hurricane and now it’s about how we regroup as a country.”
The numbers explain why Heat moved quickly. Across this year’s Women’s Premier League, international T20s and the Caribbean Premier League, Henry has scored at better than 155 runs per 100 balls—third-best among players with 300 or more runs. She knows that statistic sits front and centre. “That’s [power hitting] the reason why I’m here, why the team signed me,” she noted. “Walking out on the field … whatever’s going to happen, I’ll stick to my style.”
Henry grew up sprinting on grass tracks before cricket won her over. The traits of Jamaica’s sprint legends—Fraser-Pryce’s explosive starts, Bolt’s relaxed finish—still shape her outlook. “Track and field … that was my first love,” she recalled. “But dad was always playing and just dragging me along and somewhere along the way it developed. I’m really proud to be here today [representing Jamaica].”
Heat coach Ashley Noffke has hinted Henry’s role will mirror the franchise’s long-held template: aggressive batting after the powerplay and two overs of lively seam to break partnerships. “She gives us flexibility,” Noffke said earlier in the week, praising her “calmness under pressure”. The plan is to slot Henry alongside Indian stroke-maker Jemimah Rodrigues, whose semi-final master-class knocked Australia from last year’s T20 World Cup.
That combination, plus Australia internationals Grace Harris and Charli Knott, should keep Brisbane’s middle order ticking. Yet Henry is wary of the challenges: new surfaces, unfamiliar angles, and an early match-up against Melbourne Renegades on 9 November—a repeat of last year’s final. “The Renegades attack changes pace cleverly. Adapting quickly will be key,” she said.
Beyond her immediate assignment, Henry wants to see West Indies women’s cricket climb back towards its 2016 heights. “Every time we have a game or series, that’s the first comment,” she admitted. “Our cricket’s not what it used to be [but] every time we put on that maroon we fight for the badge. It’s about trusting and believing in the process to getting back to that team that everyone was so used to talking about.”
For now, she splits attention between a distant Caribbean recovery effort and her new role in teal. A few trademark sixes at Allan Border Field would be the surest way to send both support and a reminder of what Jamaican grit, shaped by sprint tracks and cyclone winds, can bring to Australian grounds.
