Australian women's cricketers BIOGRAPHY & MORE

Sawhney continued, “This undoubtedly consolidates our position as one of the leading women’s sports in the world and we want to build on the momentum from this event and create a long-term sustainable foundation for the game. It reinforces our belief that there is a significant opportunity around the women’s game and collectively we must promote it further so more fans can watch it, more kids are inspired by it, and sponsors and broadcasters want to be a part of it.”

He signed off by saying, “We’ve built on the record-breaking success of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 and continued our focus on deepening engagement with existing fans and bringing new fans to the game with relevant, engaging content that goes beyond match highlights. Cricket fans want competitive cricket with context and the world’s best players did not disappoint in Australia earlier this year.”

However, allrounder Sophie Molineux has missed out on a spot in the touring party as she recovers from the shoulder surgery that prematurely ended her domestic summer, instead included in Australia A squad that will tour the UK at the same time as the senior side.

Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (VC), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Selectors have named one squad to cover all three formats in the UK – the Ashes rivals will meet in three ODIs, one Test, and three T20Is from July 2 – including five potential Test debutants, alongside the 13-strong ‘A’ group.

The concurrent nature of the tours is an added bonus for Australia, who could call upon ‘A’ players at any point during the tour if form or fitness required.

Bolton missed the one-dayers against the White Ferns due to personal reasons, taking a short break from cricket, but returned to the fold for the Australian group’s recent camp at Brisbane’s Bupa National Cricket Centre. Vlaeminck has recovered from the partial ACL tear that saw her sidelined from the Rebel WBBL in January and after impressing her coaches and teammates alike with her sheer pace in Brisbane, will feature in her first Ashes series.

The 2022 edition of the Women’s World Cup is scheduled to begin on 4th March 2022. Being held in New Zealand for the third time, the marquee event in the women’s calendar will consist of 31 matches culminating in the finals on April 3rd at Christchurch. 

There are a total of 8 teams participating in the tournament. Australia, England, South Africa, and India obtained direct entry to the tournament along with the host New Zealand. With the Qualifier for the tournament canceled mid-way last year, the final 3 spots were determined through the ODI rankings at the end of the league, which meant that Bangladesh, Pakistan, and West Indies made the cut.

Much like their counterparts in men’s cricket in the late 90s and early 2000s, the Australian team thrives on big-match situations and tournaments. They have been consistent performers, winning the World Cup 6 times in 11 appearances. They have featured in the finals of the tournament on 8 occasions. The following table highlights their achievements.

They have been equally strong in the World T20s winning 5 out of 7 editions, including their recent triumph at home. This record is enough to boost their morale and make them a confident side going into this tournament. They are already being touted as the pre-tournament favorites to lift the trophy, yet again.

The Australian squad has got a very strong core with a lot of experience in varied match situations. The captain, Meg Lanning, has been leading the team through all these years winning everywhere across the world. With 4000 runs to her name at an average of over 50, she is Australia’s mainstay in the batting department. Alyssa Healy is the fearsome opener who will be tasked to get the fast starts that her team needs whereas Ashleigh Gardner and Jess Jonassen lend the fireworks at the end. The bowling is equally experienced with Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry shouldering the responsibility.

The Australian attack has capable all-rounders who can contribute heavily with bat or ball. In addition to the 3000+ runs made by Ellyse Perry, she has claimed 156 wickets including the best figures of 7/22. Jess Jonassen has also scored 500+ runs but also has 118 wickets to her name. Ashleigh Gardner has played 42 games and already has 500+ runs and is closing in on 50 wickets, she has already claimed 43 of them. Tahlia McGrath has shown what she is capable of in her strong performances against India and England.

If their batting unit is strong, the Australian bowling attack is weak in comparison. Australia will be missing the services of the highly talented Tayla Vlaeminck, who can trouble batters with her express pace. They will also be disappointed with the loss of Sophie Molineux, the frontline leg-spinner who was ruled out due to a foot injury. Megan Schutt will be the backbone of the bowling attack supported by Ellyse Perry, Jess Jonassen, and Ashleigh Gardner. Although all are experienced, none of them are specialist bowlers, and Perry, the most successful of the three not being able to bowl long spells. The others, Darcie Brown, Amanda-Jade Wellington, and Alana King are inexperienced and have played only 19 matches between them.  

Australia has talented players who are quite new to their one-day setup. Not having played a lot of cricket, they will be eager to make their mark. We have already seen the quality that young girls like Tahlia McGrath and Darcie Brown possess. They are sure to use this opportunity to make a big splash in international cricket which will also be a challenge to many teams, who will most likely face them for the very first time and will not know what to expect from them.

Ellyse Perry has been a special player for Australian women’s cricket. It is no doubt that she is a certainty in the playing XI and will look to contribute to their fortunes in the tournament. However, she has not been the same since the injury she suffered at the Women’s World T20 at home in 2020. She has not played any innings of note with only a half-century and a three-for in her 9 matches since her comeback. The fact that she is not able to bowl her quota of her overs remains a concern for the team.

Of late, the great Australian team has not had strong batting performances the way they had dominated in the past. They are prone to losing quick wickets and putting pressure on themselves too often, often depending on their middle-order to bail them out as was evident in the group stages of the World T20 and more recently at home, where India was able to snap their unbeaten streak. 

To conclude, Australia is undoubtedly the favorite to lift the trophy, backed by the strong showing in this format and the record of the key players. However, there are chinks in their armor. If their opponents are able to capitalize on that, we could have some interesting matches lined up.

Australia bossed their way to a record-extending seventh Women's World Cup title with a crushing 71-run win over traditional rivals England, stamping their undisputed dominance in the tournament after a breathtaking hundred from Alyssa Healy in the final on Sunday. Playing the innings of her life, Healy put England's attack to the sword with a sensational 170 off 138 balls that powered Australia to a massive 356 for five. Defending champions England needed something more than special to pull off the record chase but kept losing wickets throughout the innings which ended at 285 in 43.4 overs.

Natalie Sciver, who scored an unbeaten 148 off 121 balls for her second successive hundred against Australia in the competition, eventually ran out of partners. Australian pacer Megan Schutt (2/42) bowled a brilliant new-ball spell removing last match centurion Danielle Wyat (4) and Tammy Beaumont (27) with her lethal in-swingers before leg-spinner Alana King (3/64) turned the ball on abating beauty to end with three crucial wickets including that of England skipper Heather Knight (26). Healy, who was dropped on 41, toyed with the English attack in her mesmerizing knock, which is now the highest-ever individual score in a World Cup final across men's and women's cricket.

Adam Gilchrist (149, 2007), Sciver (148 in this game), Ricky Ponting (140, 2003) and Viv Richards (138, 1979) are behind Healy in the elite list. Healey's opening partner Rachael Haynes (68 off 93) and Beth Mooney (62 off 47) also batted with confidence as Australia put on board the highest team total in a World Cup final in women's cricket and second-highest behind the Australian men's team's effort of 359 for two against India in 2003. To put Australia's achievement in perspective, it was their sixth win in seven World Cup finals, making Meg Lanning's unit one of the greatest teams of all time.

Australia had won their first trophy on points back in 1973. Though England ended up runners-up, it was still a remarkable campaign for the defending champions that came into the final after five wins in a row following defeats in its first three games. They always had run-rate under control in the massive chase but the lack of partnerships cost them the game. Sciver, who smashed 15 fours and a six in her epic knock, fought till the end alongside number 10 batter Charlotte Dean (21 off 24) but they were left to do too much in the end.

The duo shared a 65 run-stand for the ninth wicket to take the game deep. Earlier, Healy forged a 160-run stand with Haynes before sharing 156-runs with left-handed Mooney who was sent in ahead of skipper Meg Lanning to maintain the left and right combination. A packed and a neutral crowd at Hagley Oval was in for a treat with Healy showing devastating form en route to her second consecutive hundred in the knock-out stage, having scored 129 against West Indies in the semifinal.

The Women’s World Cup 2022 is underway and some enthralling action is on the cards. Match three of the competition will see Australia taking on their arch-rivals England at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. The Ashes rivals and also two of the most successful teams in the tournament’s history are amongst the favorites to lift the title this year. While the Aussies have won the title a record five times, England is just behind them with four tournament victories to their name.

With regards to all their previous One Day International meetings, the two sides have locked horns 81 times so far, with their first meeting coming in 1973. In terms of their head-to-head record, the Australians are way ahead having won 55 games. On the other hand, England emerged winners in a significantly less number of games with 22 wins in their kitty. While three of their matches got washed out due to rain, one encounter ended in a draw. Coming to their past clashes in the Women’s World Cup, the head-to-head record sits 11-4 in Australia’s favor.

Amongst the two teams, England’s Charlotte Edwards leads as the top-scoring batter. In 44 ODIs against Australia, Edwards has racked up 1092 runs. She is followed by Australia’s Belinda Clark with 1054 runs in 27 matches. England’s, Sarah Taylor takes the third position with 986 runs in 30 games between the two countries. Cathryn Fitzpatrick from Australia tops the bowling charts with 44 wickets in 25 matches. Two other Aussie players in Ellyse Perry and Lisa Sthalekar come second and third on the list, with 39 wickets in 31 games and 34 wickets in 28 games respectively.

The two teams played each other in the 2017 edition of the World Cup in England, with the home team coming out triumphant. England posted 259-8 on the board in their 50 overs, having won the toss and electing to bat. Australia’s attempt at the chase ended up being a thriller with the match going right down to the wire. They were guided by all-rounder, Ellyse Perry, who knock out 70 in 86 balls. However, the team continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Needing 13 to win off the last over, Australia fell short of the target by a meager margin of three runs. England’s Katherine Brunt was declared the player of the match for her all-around performance having scored 45 off 43 balls and picking up 2-42 with the ball.

The first winner at a limited-overs World Cup was, in fact, not West Indies, but the England women’s team, at the first Women’s World Cup in 1973, two years before the first men’s event.

Seven teams – England, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, an International XI, and Young England – participated in the event. It was held in a round-robin format, with each team playing the others once, and the top team on points lifting the title. “The tournament created huge public awareness of the very existence of women's cricket,” Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, the England captain, said years later.

England’s Enid Bakewell and Lynne Thomas hit the first centuries of the tournament in its opening match against International XI. Its total of 258 for 1 in that game was the highest until its last game, against Australia, when another century by Bakewell and a fifty by Heyhoe-Flint took England to 279 for 3 in 60 overs and a 92-run win. England won five of its games, losing only to New Zealand in a rain-affected match. It was closely followed by Australia, with four wins and one no result.

India made its debut in the tournament at the event hosted in the country. Only four teams participated: Australia, England, and New Zealand joining the home side. Each team played the others once, with the winner being decided on points. The games were played before large, enthusiastic crowds.

Australia was undefeated in the tournament, winning against New Zealand by 66 runs, India by 71, and getting its revenge over England from the 1973 edition with an eight-wicket win in Hyderabad. Put in, the defending champion was reduced to 28 for 6 by the pace of Sharon Ann Tredrea, who finished with 4 for 25, before finally putting up 96 for 8. Glynis Hullah then struck twice as Australia fell to 6 for 2, but a patient effort from Sharon’s sister Janet (37 not out) and Margaret Jennings, the captain (57), completed an eight-wicket win.

It was therefore fitting that the most consistent team won the title. In its 12 matches, Australia won a stunning 11. The one it didn’t win was a tie, against England in Christchurch. England, having posted 167 for 8, managed to bowl Australia out with the scores level. Remarkably, it was the second tied contest in the tournament – the clash between England and New Zealand, the second of the edition, had also ended with spoils shared.

The final was again a closely-contested affair. Opting to bat, England posted 151 for 5, largely thanks to Jay Allen’s 53. In response, Australia put in fine team performance. Jen Jacobs’s 37 was the highest in the innings, and she was closely followed by Karen Read (32), Sharon Ann Tredrea (25), and Marie Cornish (24). Their combined effort ensured Australia sailed home with three wickets and an over to spare.

It was once again a five-team tournament, but instead of an International Women’s XI, there were two associate nations making their debuts – Ireland and the Netherlands, while India was missing. The number of matches played also drastically reduced, with each team playing eight games.

The main scrap was once again between Australia and England. Australia won seven and lost one – against England – to finish at the top of the table. England came second, its two losses coming against New Zealand and in its other clash against Australia.

As for the newbies, the Netherlands struggled and lost all eight of its matches. Ireland fared a bit better, winning both its clashes against the Netherlands to avoid the wooden spoon.

The fifth edition was played in England. The tournament was very close to being canceled until a £90,000 donation from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts allowed it to go on. A total of eight teams were featured in the competition, with Denmark and West Indies making their debuts. India, too, made a comeback to the championship.

After the round-robin stage of seven matches for each team, New Zealand and England made the final, the three-time champion Australians losing out. The group stage was dominated by New Zealand, which remained unbeaten, while England’s only loss came against New Zealand, by 25 runs.

In the final, England rode on the 85-runs partnership for the second wicket between Janette Brittin (48) and Carole Hodges (45) to get a good start. In the process, Brittin became the first woman to score 1000 World Cup runs. After them, Jo Chamberlain bludgeoned 38 runs from 33 deliveries to take England to 195 for 5. New Zealand’s reply never took off and it was shot out for 128, giving England a 67-run win.

This edition featured a record of 11 teams and was played over 50 overs for the first time. With high scores, the lowest total, and big crowds, this edition of the tournament offered everything a cricket fan could dream of.

Australian Belinda Clark's 229 not out against Denmark and England’s Charlotte Edwards's 173 not out against Ireland still remain the top two individual scores in women’s cricket history. But, while the tournament recorded four 300-plus totals, Pakistan was dismissed for 27 in a mere 82 balls, still, the shortest completed innings in the women’s game.

After some tough competition in the group stages, England, Australia, New Zealand, and India made it through to the semi-final. While Australia defeated India by 19 runs in the first, New Zealand took out England by 20 runs in the second game.

New Zealand could only put up 164 in the final, courtesy of Debbie Hockley's brilliant 79. Australia got off to a solid start, as Clark (52) led the side from the front and it went past the target in 47.4 overs with five wickets remaining, giving Australians its fourth championship title in front of 80,000 spectators at Eden Gardens.

The tournament, which featured eight teams, was spread over 31 games in Lincolnshire and Christchurch. Apart from Australia and New Zealand, India, South Africa, England, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and the Netherlands took part. All the teams played each other once in a round-robin format, and India and South Africa made it into the final four apart from New Zealand and Australia.

Australia, which went unbeaten into the semi-final, brushed South Africa aside with a nine-wicket win. New Zealand, which had lost to Australia in the group stage, also won easily, beating India by nine wickets.

In sharp contrast to the semi-finals, which were lopsided affairs, the final was a nail-biting affair. Australia, the favorite, was set 185 for victory, and it took a collective effort by the home side bowlers to stop it four runs short with Belinda Clark's 91 going in vain.

Australia was the most dominant team through the course of the competition, winning five of its seven round-robin games by big margins, the other two being washed out. India also had two of its games washed out, while it also lost to New Zealand.

In the semi-finals, Australia defeated England by five wickets with Cathryn Fitzpatrick returning 3 for 27 to stop England at 158 and Belinda Clark leading the chase with a knock of 62, while India beat New Zealand by 40 runs, Mithali Raj’s 91 not out and Amita Sharma’s 3 for 24 standing out.

In this, the first edition of the tournament to be organized by the International Cricket Council, the teams were split into two groups, with each team playing the other once. The top three teams from each group then qualified for the Super Sixes. Both England and New Zealand, the eventual finalists, won all their group stage matches and lost one match each in the Super Sixes.

A lot was expected from the home side, but Australia lost to New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament and was also beaten by India in a crucial Super Sixes match. But it bounced back to win the third-place playoff, beating India by three wickets. South Africa and Sri Lanka failed to win any matches in the tournament.

In the Super Sixes match against Pakistan, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and Haidee Tiffen were involved in a 262-run second-wicket stand – the second-highest partnership in women's One-Day Internationals, and the highest in a women's World Cup match – that set up a massive 223-run win.

The tenth edition of the tournament proved to be a great advertisement for the women’s game. Four teams – Australia, England, India, and New Zealand – had already qualified for the main event and were joined by Sri Lanka, South Africa, Pakistan, and West Indies, who qualified through the 2011 Women's World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh.

Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole (England), Megan Schutt and Holly Ferling (Australia), and Jhulan Goswami (India), were the pacers who dominated the bowling charts. While the power-hitting of Eshani Kaushalya (Sri Lanka), Stafanie Taylor, and Deandra Dottin (West Indies) were at par with some of their male counterparts.

Sri Lanka sprung a surprise by pulling off a thrilling one-wicket win over England, the defending champion, in the group stage, and even went on to beat India by 138 runs, thus scripting the home side’s exit from the tournament, while Pakistan remained winless. After suffering heavy defeats to India and England in the group stage, West Indies did a turnaround in the Super Sixes, winning all three games, including first-time wins over New Zealand and Australia.

The tournament began with a league stage comprising all eight teams, with every side clashing with each other once – the top four teams at the end of the group stage would progress to the semi-finals. England finished atop the table at the end of the group stages, level on points with Australia, with both teams just losing one fixture each in seven matches. India and South Africa joined them in the semi-finals.

India shocked Australia in their semi-final, with Harmanpreet Kaur smashing a magical 171* off 115 balls – the fifth-highest World Cup score overall, and the highest individual score made by an Indian in the women’s World Cup. In the other semi-finals, England eased past South Africa in a nail-biting thriller, with just two balls remaining, to set up a cracking finale.

India looked primed to chase down England’s 229-run target in the final, having reached 191/3 in the 43rd over. However, a collapse, triggered by the nerveless Anya Shrubsole, who returned 6/46 – the best figures in a women’s World Cup final – helped England snatch victory in front of a near full-house at Lord’s.

India is such a huge cricketing nation that many players have also represented other countries. Of course, this has happened under varying circumstances. Usually, it is for New Zealand and West Indies where many Indian-origin cricketers have played for. Interestingly, there have been a few Indian-origin players who have turned up for Australia. In this article, we take a look at eight Indian-origin cricketers who represented Australia at the International level.

As Glenn McGrath was at the end of his career, there were concerns regarding his replacement. Stuart Clark filled the legend’s role to perfection in the initial years. In his debut Test series itself, he won the Player of the Tournament. However, as the years progressed, Clark lost control over his bowling. He ended his career with 160 international wickets across formats.

Women’s cricket is forever growing in popularity in Australia. From talented players that have experience in international cricket to new and undiscovered girls heading onto the pitch for the first time, the Australian women’s cricket team has it all.

With the help of streaming services, you can now live to stream your favorite matches and watch our nation’s best players in action. The team has shown they are one of the best in the world over the last few years, and they do not seem to be showing signs of slowing down. Find out more about their players as well as how to watch their games live here!

The Australian women's cricket team, also known as the Southern Stars, is one of the best teams in international cricket. They currently sit on top of the international cricket rankings thanks to their dominance in all formats of the game. This is in large part down to the exceptional captaincy of Meg Lanning. Her batting skills have proven to be a great asset for the team and have helped Australia win World Cups numerous times. However, all the credit cannot be given to the captain alone. Matthew Mott, the team’s coach, is another who deserves praise for recent performances. Under his mentorship, the current squad has grown stronger and will aim to win more World Cups over the next 12 months, starting in New Zealand this March.