The spin-bowling all-rounder Sophie Molineux has recently returned to the Australian Test team, which will play South Africa at the storied WACA field.
The last time Molineux wore Australian colours was in 2021. He hasn’t held a central contract since. The selectors are taking notice of her when she returns to action in December 2023 following a year-long absence due to an ACL injury.
Shawn Flegler, the national selector, expressed his happiness at having Molineux in the mix and emphasized the emotional journey she has endured in recent years. He commended her for her perseverance in missing important tournaments and her hard work over the past 12 months.
“It was a thoughtful decision. Throughout the past few years, she has experienced a great deal. She was quite sentimental. National selector Shawn Flegler was quoted by ESPN Cricinfo as saying, “She’s put a lot of hard work in over the last 12 months but even the previous 12 months as well [and has] missed out on some big tournaments for us.”
“With her, we’ve always maintained contact. We had a little conversation with her thereafter, telling her to concentrate on the upcoming cricket season, take care of herself, and watch what transpires.
Her recent performance, which included a half-century against the South Africans and her joint-leading WNCL wicket-taking total, undoubtedly helped Molineux’s cause.
“She returned and performed incredibly well…has most likely taken a slight surprise in herself for how successfully she’s disappeared. Before her injury, she was an all-format player, and Flegler noted that she had recovered well.
There is fierce competition to make the final XI, and Molineux will probably face off against the seasoned Jess Jonassen. Flegler made a suggestion that it might not be possible to have two left-arm spinners in the playing 11.
Heather Graham and Lauren Cheatle are not in the team. Cheatle, a left-arm seamer, will miss the full season because she needs surgery to treat skin cancer. Flegler acknowledged the difficult circumstances and offered her condolences, adding that her playing style would have probably been more appropriate at the WACA. The selectors made it clear that they were in favor of Cheatle’s health-focused rehabilitation.
Megan Schutt has been named among the front-line pace possibilities, even though she has stated that she believes her days of playing Test cricket are over. Her odds of making the starting lineup, though, look low unless one of the other options gets hurt.
Australia has played three Tests in nine months, having previously faced England and India. Their next Test is against South Africa. The team is adaptable despite the unpredictability of the playing circumstances. Flegler emphasized that the WACA has demonstrated spin-friendly qualities this season, and the crew is ready for a range of conditions given the predicted heat wave. Flegler emphasized the team’s flexibility to the possible playing circumstances at the WACA while expressing confidence in covering all scenarios.
The Australian team for the one-off Test matchup with South Africa:
Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, and Georgia Wareham are the players who started for Alyssa Healy (c).
Australia A’s “Green vs. Gold” matchup teams have been unveiled.
In addition, the selectors have revealed the two teams for ‘Green against Gold,’ a three-day red-ball match that is an integral part of the enlarged Australia A program that seeks to provide players exposure to a longer format. To supplement their arrangement with England, Cricket Australia is also aggressively seeking to finalize reciprocal A visits with India.
The game is set to take place at Karen Rolton Oval on March 5–7. Players from the Women’s Big Bash League (WPL) were notably excluded, despite the fact that a number of well-known Australian players are scheduled to play.
Green Team
Hayley Silver-Holmes, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Voll; Heather Graham, Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Alana King, Chloe Piparo, Lilly Mills, Kate Peterson, Sophie Reid
Gold Team
Charli Knott, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Emma de Broughe, Katie Mack, Grace Parsons, Courtney Webb, Milly Illingworth, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Sianna Ginger, and Amanda-Jade Wellington
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