Hobart Hurricanes' first visit to UTAS Stadium in almost three years proved unsuccessful, defeated by eight wickets at the hands of the Brisbane Heat.
Adding to the home side's pain was a finger injury to skipper Rachel Priest, which could leave her in doubt for the rest of the tournament.
Ruth Johnston made 47 as the Hurricanes scraped to 8-132 but a Grace Harris half-century and three-wicket hauls to Courtney Sippel and Jess Jonassen saw off the 'Canes.
Playing her first game of WBBL07, 20-year-old Sippel shadowed the efforts of Star Kim Garth in the previous game, taking two wickets in the Hurricanes' first over.
Her first ball smacked into the top of Priest's middle stump, while her fourth - a low full toss - was caught at cover by Harris off the bat of Mignon du Preez (2).
Tossing the ball to Georgia Prestwidge at the other end didn't signal a change of fortune for the hosts, with Nicola Carey (5) dismissed by a Laura Kimmince blinder at backward point.
All of this happened with Greater Northern Raider Johnston standing up the other end yet to face a ball.
The 18-year-old required a helmet change on her third ball as a Sippel bouncer beat her for pace but her partner situation wasn't getting any better with fellow Raider Sasha Moloney bowled by Jess Jonassen for a fifth-ball duck.
Reeling at 4-16 at the end of the fourth over, Johnston and Richa Ghosh set about building the innings' foundations by taking 11 off Prestwidge's second.
"I just knew I had to stick in there, try and chip away at the runs," Johnston said.
"I believe in our middle-order bats so I knew that if we get a small partnership going it would keep on building and we can get a decent score, which [it] was pretty good but the Heat are a pretty good batting side so it was tough to defend that."
The teenaged pair steered the 'Canes out of the powerplay at 4-33 and continued that build in following overs, working their way to 4-57 at the halfway mark.
Ghosh fell just short of the duo's 50-run stand, caught by Ruth's cousin, Ellie Johnston, off the bowling of Anneke Bosch for 22 off 27 balls.
The wicket of Naomi Stalenberg quickly followed, caught and bowled by Jonassen as she became the second player to take 100 WBBL wickets, bringing out the first - Molly Strano.
Strano and Johnston boosted the total in the crucial overs - taking 28 runs off the 16th and 17th overs - with the latter hitting the match's first six over cover before hitting the next ball through the same region.
Unfortunately the Queenslander became victim 101 for Jonassen in the 18th over, falling for 47 - three short of her maiden WBBL half-century - in her composed knock before some late hitting and running from Strano (27) and Tayla Vlaeminck got the 'Canes to their eventual total.
"I was a little bit more comfortable because I knew how they can bowl, it was a big pre-season in Queensland so I've definitely faced a lot of their balls," Johnston said.
The Hurricanes' bowling innings started with skipper Priest copping Vlaeminck's first ball on the left index finger, leaving the field and handing the gloves to Ghosh.
Former Hurricane Georgia Redmayne and Harris put the home side to the sword, taking 29 off the first three overs and 44 in the powerplay.
Nicola Carey (2-16) momentarily changed the home side's fortunes in the eighth over, getting Redmayne to deliver one to Ghosh's gloves before bowling Georgia Voll for a third-ball duck and producing another close LBW shout.
The Heat got to 10 overs at 2-65, eight runs and two wickets ahead of the hosts, as Harris and another former Hurricane Mikayla Hinkley went about their business.
Harris finished on 57* as Hinkley (49*) hit the winning runs with a six, reaching the total in the 19th over.
The Hurricanes will back up on Wednesday night for their clash against the Melbourne Stars and have added Southern talent Maddison Brooks into their squad.
Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
