Brisbane Heat introduce pitchside net to allow players to practise until the last second

While players will be able to have a hit as their team's innings continues apace behind them, fans in the vicinity of the net will get a chance to see their heroes with bat in hand up close and personal

Brisbane Heat have unveiled their latest innovation ahead of this year's Big Bash and WBBL - a pitchside net which allows players to get their eye in until the moment they are called to action.

The franchise revealed "The Cage" - a single-lane practice area situated in the stands - at the Gabba on Wednesday.

While players will be able to have a hit as their team's innings continues apace behind them, fans in the vicinity of the net will get a chance to see their heroes with bat in hand up close and personal.

"The Cage" is the latest in a series of initiatives by Brisbane Heat, designed to make the game more accessible to supporters.

^{The Cage is the latest innovation at the Gabba, following on from the Pool Deck (top image copyright Brisbane Heat)}

In previous years, the franchise has introduced the Pool Deck - a six-by-eight-metre viewing area of the Gabba situated in a tiered swimming pool - as well as a virtual reality tour of the ground available through a mobile phone app, known as Heat VR.

The newest addition has got the backing of the players already.

"It's a great idea and I'll be using it for sure," Ben Cutting said.

"There's always plenty of nervous energy around waiting to bat, so it will be ideal to be able to settle the nerves a bit and get my eye in at the same time before batting."

Brisbane Heat open their Big Bash campaign against Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba on December 19.

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