Following a tri-series earlier this year against England and hosts Sri Lanka, the Australia Under-19 women’s team is set to face New Zealand and Sri Lanka on home soil as their preparations intensify for the upcoming 2025 edition of the Women’s Under-19 World Cup. The schedule for the World Cup was released earlier this week by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The upcoming U19 tri-series will feature four 20-over games, and two one-day matches over 14 days in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the 15-player squad for the home tri-series, retaining most of the players who toured Sri Lanka earlier this year and also includes six players who currently hold state or Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) contracts.
For the upcoming Under-19 tri-series, Bonnie Berry, Maggie Clark, Hasrat Gill, and Lucy Hamilton, among a few others, have been retained in the squad, while Sienna Eve, Grace Lyons, Kate Pelle, and Amy Smith, who last played in the away tri-series earlier this year, have not made the cut.
Australia struggled during the tri-series against hosts Sri Lanka and England, winning just one of the four T20s. However, they fared better in the One-Dayers, winning both of their matches. To strengthen the squad for the home series, Caoimhe Bray, Ella Briscoe, Ribhya Syan, Elizabeth Worthley, and Hayley Zauch have been added to the squad.
Australia squad for Under-19 tri-series:
Bonnie Berry, Caoimhe Bray, Ella Briscoe, Maggie Clark, Samara Dulvin, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Lucy Hamilton (20-over only), Amy Hunter, Eleanor Larosa, Juliette Morton (50-over only), Ines McKeon, Ribhya Syan, Tegan Williamson, Elizabeth Worthley, Hayley Zauch
The squad includes three players—Maggie Clark, Lucy Hamilton, and Eleanor Larosa—who were part of the inaugural U19 World Cup in South Africa last year. Hamilton, who has extensive experience with Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, is a key player in the squad. Larosa, a left-arm fast bowler, recently earned her first contract with the Adelaide Strikers after making her debut for South Australia in January. Bonnie Berry, who is also contracted with Queensland, has joined the Brisbane Heat for the upcoming WBBL season. This trio was particularly impressive on the Sri Lanka tour earlier this year and will want to leave another strong impression.
Additionally, Amy Hunter made her debut for the Meteors last October, while Ines McKeon has played for Western Australia, and at just 17 years old, has already represented France in 16 T20 Internationals since her debut in May 2023. Hasrat Gill, another promising talent, secured her first contract with Victoria this year; she too was a standout on the tour of Sri Lanka, especially in the T20s.
Under-19 Tri-Series Schedule:
T20 fixtures:
DATE | MATCH | TIME (LOCAL) | VENUE |
19-Sep-24 | Australia v New Zealand | 1:30 PM | Alan Pettigrew Oval |
20-Sep-24 | New Zealand v Sri Lanka | 1:30 PM | Alan Pettigrew Oval |
22-Sep-24 | Australia v Sri Lanka | 6:00 PM | Ian Healy Oval |
24-Sep-24 | Australia v New Zealand | 1:30 PM | Bill Pippen Oval |
25-Sep-24 | Australia v Sri Lanka | 1:30 PM | Bill Pippen Oval |
26-Sep-26 | New Zealand v Sri Lanka | 1:30 PM | Bill Pippen Oval |
One Day fixtures:
DATE | MATCH | TIME (LOCAL) | VENUE |
30-Sep-24 | Australia v Sri Lanka | 9:30 AM | Alan Pettigrew Oval |
01-Oct-24 | New Zealand v Sri Lanka | 9:30 AM | Alan Pettigrew Oval |
02-Oct-24 | Australia v New Zealand | 2:30 PM | Ian Healy Oval |
Australia has been drawn into Group D for the 2025 Under-19 Women’s World Cup, where they will compete against the winner of the Asia Qualifier (yet to be decided), Scotland, and Bangladesh. The tournament is scheduled to take place from January 18 to February 2, 2025. In the inaugural edition in 2023, Australia’s campaign ended in the semi-finals with a defeat to England and aims to surpass their previous performance, eyeing a final finish.