After the English and Caribbean women, it’s time for the women from Down Under to face off. In a series featuring 3 T20I’s and 3 ODI’s, T20 World Champions Australia will face off against their trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand. The much-anticipated series will kick off on the 26th of September, before the start of ODI’s on 3rd October.
This will be both the team’s first outing since the historic T20 World Cup in Australia, where the hosts defeated India in the finals that became the most viewed women’s match ever – in-stadium and on TV/Digital.
The return of women’s cricket In Australia since that historic day was eagerly awaited, and that moment is almost here. Black Ferns’ captain, Sophie Devine, spoke in an interview with NZC before boarding a flight to Brisbane – where the 17-member team will quarantine together for 2 weeks.
“It’s one of the silver linings of this trip. It’s not very often that we get to go on an overseas tour and have two weeks’ preparation leading into the first game. It’s normally a week.”
Owing to COVID-19 guidelines imposed by most countries, including Australia, the players will have to isolate for 2 weeks to rule out any infections. However, the team can stay together in their bio-secure bubble at a Brisbane facility, like the one’s we saw earlier in England.
Devine, who represented New Zealand internationally in both hockey and cricket, spoke on the challenges of facing a world-class Australian side, “It’s always a tough battle against Australia. We’ve been in lockdown, even if it has been in slightly different circumstances either side of the Tasman (Sea).”
“None of us have played cricket for a while so it’s a really exciting opportunity to go hard at them … and maybe we can pinch the Rose Bowl back,” the 31-year old batting all-rounder added.
The Rose Bowl is especially significant for the teams down under, as it’s not only a trophy but a symbol of trans-Tasman superiority. May the best team win!
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