Jess Jonassen WBBL Profile: Wickets Record & Story

Jess Jonassen captained Queensland's Under-15 girls to the national title in 2006-07 and won player of the tournament doing it. She is from Emerald, in central Queensland. Nearly twenty years later she is the leading wicket-taker in WBBL history, and she is still taking the new ball for Brisbane Heat.

Jess Jonassen in the WBBL

185

Wickets, the all-time record

155

Matches

6.67

Economy rate

19.75

Bowling average

4/13

Best bowling

2,388

Runs

Jonassen has taken 185 wickets in 155 WBBL matches at an average of 19.75 and an economy of 6.67, according to her Cricket Australia profile. Her best figures are 4 for 13. She is also a left-handed batter with 2,388 WBBL runs and a top score of 67, and has taken 51 catches. For a spinner that is a rare amount of batting.

Her Career

Jess Jonassen, a timeline

2006/07

Captains Queensland Under-15s to the national title and wins player of the tournament.

Jan 2012

Makes her T20I debut.

Aug 2015

Scores 99 on Test debut in the Women's Ashes and is named player of the match.

2018/19 and 2019/20

Takes a vital role in Brisbane Heat's back-to-back WBBL titles.

2020

Named Heat captain.

2020 to 2023

Part of Australia's T20 World Cup wins in 2020 and 2023, and the 2022 ODI World Cup.

Jul 2023

Passes Cathryn Fitzpatrick to become Australia's third-highest wicket-taker across all formats.

Nov 2024

Named in the WBBL Team of the Decade.

WBBL|10

Shares Player of the Tournament with Ellyse Perry, the first time the award was split.

2025

Heat re-sign her for two more years.

Trivia

She has played exactly as many WBBL matches as Beth Mooney, 155.
Her 99 on Test debut came in the Ashes, and she was player of the match.
She was not on Cricket Australia's 2025-26 national contract list, though a Cricket Australia story around WBBL|11 described her as still well and truly available for national selection.
Brisbane Heat missed the finals last season, the first time in eight seasons, while Jonassen was still taking wickets for them.

Jonassen in WBBL 2026 Season Fantasy

Jonassen is listed as an all-rounder at 8.5 Cr. Spinners are valuable in T20 fantasy because they bowl four overs and take wickets steadily, and Jonassen also bats and fields. The Heat have a rebuilt bowling group with England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn and Ireland's Orla Prendergast, so she may share the work. Brisbane's first game is a home match against Sydney Sixers on 30 October.

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With Glenn and Prendergast joining, the Heat have three bowlers who can take wickets in the powerplay or middle overs. Watch the first few games to see who gets which overs before you commit transfers.