Australia’s first international cricket showdown of the 2023-24 summer will see the hosts go head-to-head against West Indies at the North Sydney Oval in Sydney. The game is scheduled to commence at 6:50 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 1st of October, 2023.
Squads:
Australia – Alyssa Healy (C, WK), Tahlia McGrath (VC), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
West Indies – Hayley Matthews (C), Shemaine Campbelle (VC), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams
Players to watch out:
Alyssa Healy
The 33-year-old keeper-batter will step onto the field for her 250th international game against the Windies in the series opener. It will be worth watching how she approaches this landmark game, especially considering her recent dip in form. The veteran player, with 126 T20Is to her name, has piled on 2547 runs at a strike rate of 127.60 and recorded her best score of 148*.
Megan Schutt
The senior pacer will also be playing a milestone game in the series opener, her 100th T20I. In 99 T20I appearances, Megan has taken 128 wickets, including her best of 5/15, and has maintained an economy rate of 6.35. Megan, in 3 T20Is against England, secured 4 wickets but conceded quite a few runs. She will be looking to regain her rhythm and be at her economic best.
Hayley Matthews
The 25-year-old all-rounder in T20Is has accumulated 1716 runs from 85 innings and claimed 86 wickets from 78 bowling outings, with respective bests of 107* and 86. Hayley has enjoyed an extraordinary few months in cricket, delivering numerous match-winning performances in various tournaments and series. Most recently, in the 3-match T20I series against Ireland, Hayley finished with 135 runs and 8 wickets.
Aaliyah Alleyne
The 28-year-old all-rounder in T20Is has taken 9 wickets in 23 outings and contributed 229 runs from 27 outings. In the series against Ireland, Aaliyah played only one game and registered her best of 49* with the bat while not having a bowl. A couple of days out from the series, in a warm-up fixture against New South Wales, Aaliyah finished with figures of 19* and 2/13.
Pitch:
The center wicket at the North Sydney Oval, Sydney, offers a relatively balanced deck as the conditions favor both batters and bowlers. The quicks, in particular, gain an advantage from the conditions, and a score in the 160s is considered to be challenging on this track.
Weather:
Despite cloudy overhead, the chances of rain are very slim, meaning we should have a complete game on our hands. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 28°C with moderate winds and a humidity level of 28%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Stafanie Taylor, Hayley Matthews, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Aaliyah Alleyne, Megan Schutt, Georgia Wareham, Jess Jonassen
Match details:
Date – October 1, 2023
Time – 6:50 AM IST
Venue – North Sydney Oval, Sydney
Broadcast – The game will be broadcast on the Seven Network and Fox Sports, and it will also be available for streaming on Kayo Sports.