Melbourne Stars add Bess Heath on short-term replacement deal

The English batter replaces Jemimah Rodrigues, who won't arrive in Australia until after the conclusion of the Asia Cup

Melbourne Stars have signed Bess Heath as a short-term replacement for Jemimah Rodrigues, with the Indian batter involved in the final of the Asia Cup on Saturday.

Rodrigues will miss the opening weekend of Jonathan Batty's tenure in charge of Stars, with Heath summoned to fill her void for fixtures against Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers.

Heath, 21, is uncapped but has forged a reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the English domestic game, while she displayed her growing maturity in making an important 44 in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final.

Derbyshire-born, she represented Northern Superchargers in The Hundred this summer and smashed 84 in 51 balls for England A against New Zealand in a T20 warmup match ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

^{Heath has replaced Jemimah Rodrigues until the Indian batter arrives (Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)}

Particularly strong through the legside, Heath took Sophie Devine for 24 runs in a single over during that onslaught.

Una Raymond-Hoey has also been called up by Stars; she replaces Meg Lanning, whose indefinite leave from the game continues. Her significant loss means that Nicole Faltum will captain the side, who are led for the first time by Batty, who has won The Hundred twice with Oval Invincibles.

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