The upcoming 28th season of the Women’s National Cricket League, the women’s domestic limited-overs cricket competition in Australia, kicks off on the 22nd of September, 2023, with New South Wales taking on Queensland at Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park.
Squads:
New South Wales – Alyssa Healy (C), Jade Allen, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Sarah Coyte, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Saskia Horley, Sammy-jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Tahlia Wilson
Queensland – Jess Jonassen (C), Zoe Cooke, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Kira Holmes, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll
Players to watch out:
Tahlia Wilson
The 23-year-old keeper-batter lived up to expectations last season, racking up 478 runs in 12 innings. Tahlia scored her maiden ton in the competition last summer and set a new personal best in the same season with a 112, signing off the season on a high note. During the ‘A’ tour of England, she scored a fine 56* in a T20 game and an excellent 81 to conclude the series in the 50-over format.
Hannah Darlington
The 21-year-old bowling all-rounder has a knack for picking crucial wickets and is a very handy contributor with the bat. Hannah missed the first leg of the WNCL last summer due to a knee injury suffered late in pre-season training, and upon her return in 5 matches, she managed only 83 runs and picked up 2 wickets. Most recently, Hannah was involved in an Australian indigenous team’s tour of Vanuatu, where she captained her side to a series win and led the batting from the front.
Georgia Redmayne
The 33-year-old keeper-batter featured in only 4 WNCL games last summer and accumulated 166 runs, with a highest score of 62*. Georgia missed a major chunk of the cricket calendar due to injuries; however, she’s up and running, scoring a ton in an unofficial annual game last week, and Georgia has announced her comeback to cricket. With a lot of cricket in the subcontinent to follow, Georgia, who’s a good player of spin, will eye her national debut with another impactful season.
Courtney Sippel
The 23-year-old right-arm pacer had a brilliant season last summer. Featuring in 12 games, Sippel scalped 18 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 5.21, and proved handy with the bat as well, chipping in with 85 runs from 7 outings. Sippel recorded respective bests of 43 and 3/41. Courtney also featured in the ‘A’ series against England and bagged 4 wickets in 2 games.
Pitch:
The center wicket at Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park, provides a somewhat neutral playing field as the conditions favor both batters and bowlers. Pacers, in particular, benefit from the conditions, and a score around the 240s can be deemed competitive on this wicket.
Weather:
It’ll be a bright sunny day at Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park, with the temperature expected to hover around 19°C, light winds, and a humidity level of 86%. The absence of rain promises us a complete game of cricket.
Fantasy playing XI:
Alyssa Healy, Georgia Redmayne, Laura Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia Wilson, Ashleigh Gardner, Charli Knott, Erin Burns, Courtney Sippel, Jess Jonassen, Sarah Coyte
Match details:
Date – September 22, 2023
Time – 5:00 AM IST
Venue – Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, and it will also be available for streaming on Kayo Sports.