Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux returns as Australia announces squad for the historic Test match against South Africa.
The Australian side led by skipper Alyssa Healy is hosting South Africa for an all-format series that includes a three-match T20I series followed by a three-match ODI series and then a one-off Test match. The series commenced on 27th January 2024 and will conclude on 18th February 2024. The home side eventually sealed the T20I series by a 2-1 margin. However, they suffered their, maiden defeat in the T20I format against South Africa in the 2nd T20I, as the visitors sealed the game by 6 wickets and 6 balls to spare.
Australia will face South Africa for the first time in the red-ball format. Earlier in the week, South Africa announced their squad for the one-off Test match. Australia has announced their squad for a historic one-off Test match against South Africa on 15th February 2024 at the W.A.C.A. Ground in Perth from 8 am IST.
Australia Squad for the historic one-off Test match against South Africa
Alyssa Healy ©, Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, and Georgia Wareham.
Australia's Squad for one-off test against South Africa announced.
Alyssa Healy (c)
Darcie Brown
Ashleigh Gardner
Kim Garth
Jess Jonassen
Alana King
Phoebe Litchfield
Tahlia McGrath
Sophie Molineux
Beth Mooney
Ellyse Perry
Megan Schutt
Annabel Sutherland
Georgia… pic.twitter.com/Py9yCcstaQ— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) February 10, 2024
Players to watch out for
Darcie Brown
The 20-year-old young pacer last played a Test match, it was against England in the one-off Test match in the Women’s Ashes in June last year. She has picked up 3 wickets in 6 innings, since her debut in the red-ball format on 30th September 2021 against India. Her ability to rattle the batters with her express pace makes her a potential threat for the visiting South African side.
Sophie Molineux
The 26-year-old left-arm spinner has had a long layoff from the national setup courtesy of a stress fracture in her left foot. Her most recent appearance for Australia came way back in the year 2021 in a home series against India. However, she made a roaring comeback to domestic cricket leading Victoria in the ongoing edition of the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL). She is the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament so far with 17 wickets to her name at an impressive strike rate of 20 and an average of 14.47 in 6 innings. Her tally of wickets includes one four-wicket haul and one five-wicket haul.
Apart from her exploits with the ball, she has also scored 167 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 89.78 and an average of 27.83 in 6 innings. She will be back into the Australian setup and would be keen to get back amongst the wickets for Australia.
Beth Mooney
She has been sensational with the bat in the last month, scoring 291 runs at a humongous average of 72.75 in her last 7 innings in the white-ball format. She also claimed the top spot dethrowing Tahlia McGrath as the number 1 batter in the T20I Rankings and is also inching closer to the top spot in the ODI rankings. She will be one of the key members to set the tone up front at the top of the order for Australia.