Picture by Bruce Rollinson/SWPix.com. Jess Jonassen, the 2026 Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women’s player-of-the-year.
Lauren Winfield-Hill has paid tribute to Jess Jonassen after a stunning first year in Yorkshire colours, saying: “She’s been everything I hoped she’d be, and I knew she would be.”
Australian all-rounder Jonassen last month completed her first year of a two-year overseas contract at Headingley and is back home preparing for the Big Bash League, which starts next week.
Jonassen will play in that T20 competition for her home side Brisbane Heat alongside White Rose team-mate Sarah Glenn. In mid-November, they will come up against their county coach Rich Pyrah, who is leading the Melbourne Stars.
For Yorkshire, Jonassen contributed 810 runs in 26 appearances in both 50-over and T20 cricket, including four fifties and three hundreds. She also claimed 39 wickets with her left-arm spin with a best of 4-18.
She was the standout player across the whole of women’s county cricket last summer.
That was highlighted by the end-of-season accolades handed to her by the Professional Cricketers’ Association.
The PCA named her the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women’s player-of-the-year and also the overall Women’s domestic Most Valuable Player.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Lauren Winfield-Hill has heaped praise on Jess Jonassen.
She was named the captain of their 2026 team-of-the-year, an XI also featuring Yorkshire skipper Winfield-Hill.
“I’ve obviously played a lot of cricket with Jess, and she’s such an important player because she just brings so much in every aspect of the game,” said Winfield-Hill.
“She pretty much bowls 10 overs every game and bats in the top five.
“She’s still an absolutely world-class player.”
The Heat, who will field Glenn as an overseas player, are two-time WBBL champions, winning back-to-back titles in 2018/19 and 2019/20.
Jonassen has since captained the Heat but has stepped down ahead of this campaign
Pyrah’s Stars, meanwhile, are still chasing their maiden WBBL title.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Sarah Glenn has returned to the Brisbane Heat for a third WBBL season.
The eight WBBL sides, plus the Australian Capital Territory, have just played out a Spring Challenge warm-up event which was won by the Sydney Sixers.
Pyrah’s Stars won two of four matches, while the Heat won one of four.
Glenn claimed two wickets in two matches, while Jonassen didn’t feature as she manages a knee injury picked up during the latter stages of the summer with Yorkshire. Since returning Down Under, she has played state cricket for Queensland, however.
Pyrah said: “I can’t speak highly enough of Jess.
“She’s done so much in the game. She’s won six World Cups.
“She’s obviously a very good cricketer and got the runs and wickets for us. But the way she speaks about the game, that’s gold dust.
“That kind of thing can come from the coaches all the time. But when a senior player who’s been there, done that and won World Cups speaks in the dressing room, the girls listen.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Rich Pyrah is chasing silverware with the Melbourne Stars over the next couple of months.
“A season around her, for all the youngsters, is gold for them.
“They’ve definitely learnt from her. She leads by example when she plays.
“The last month of the season, she was not fully fit. But she ground it out. That’s a lesson to the girls in itself, of attitude and wanting to play.
“It’s part of the youngsters’ journey, being around the leaders.”
Pyrah and the Stars play on the opening day of the Big Bash, against defending champions Hobart Hurricanes in Melbourne next Thursday (8.10am UK). The Heat face the Sixers at the same time on Friday.
The Stars and the Heat then face each other on November 12.
The WBBL, which runs through to December 5, will be televised live by Sky Sports.
