Women's Ashes 2021/22

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Note fixture changes, including T20s moved to the start of the series to allow both teams enough time to get into NZ for the World Cup.

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England
Thu, Jan 20:
First T20, Adelaide Oval (N)
Sat, Jan 22: Second T20, Adelaide Oval
Sun, Jan 23: Third T20, Adelaide Oval
Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval
Thu, Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval (D/N)
Sun, Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval
Tue, Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Australia squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck

England squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

All matches live on Seven, Foxtel and Kayo.

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A concurrent England A tour is also scheduled, with games played in the same city as the headline act (sometimes on the same day but never starting at the same time) which could prove to be very handy if any availability issues arise within the main squads.

Australia A v England A
Jan 20:
First T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
Jan 21: Second T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
Jan 23: Third T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
Jan 28: First OD, Philip Oval, Canberra
Jan 30: Second OD, Philip Oval, Canberra
Feb 2: Third OD, Philip Oval, Canberra

Australia A squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Katie Mack, Courtney Sippel, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Georgia Voll, Amanda-Jade Wellington

England A squad: Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Eve Jones, Beth Langston, Emma Lamb, Bryony Smith, Ellie Threlkeld, Issy Wong
 
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Changes from the series v India will include Molineux and Wareham out (injured), while Jonassen and Schutt (and Haynes) will come back in.

Wellington should be locked in for the Test, with Alana King in the squad as backup. The comments section seems to assume they are the spinners next in line for the white ball matches but I'm sure they haven't leapfrogged Strano (at least in T20s).

With the way Gardner bowled last series, and with the WC being held in NZ, the selectors may be tempted to try just two spin options (her & JJ) for the ODI team**. With not much confidence, I'd say behind Strano first comes Sam Bates (but if she's ruled out for fielding, then logically that should mean King is ahead of Wellington).

Wouldn't be surprised if they manage Vlaeminck and have her sit out the Test again, in which case the last spot might come down to Campbell v Darcie Brown v Sutherland. Campbell, having taken 7/25 at Manuka Oval the other day (albeit against a hapless Meteors), would probably have the edge at this stage.

I know some people are enamoured with short-term domestic form, so for their sake here are several players' best recent numbers from the WNCL:

Healy - 51 (58)
Haynes - 118 (132), 96 (119)
Lanning - DNP
Perry - 120 (94) & 1/10 (4)
Mooney - DNP
McGrath - DNP
Gardner - 57 (56) & 1/35 (7)
Carey - 100* (109) & 1/47 (9), 74 (95)
Jonassen - 5/24 (9.2)
Vlaeminck - 1/49 (8)
Schutt - DNP

G. Harris - 64 (84)
Voll - 40 (60)
Litchfield - 88 (72)
Burns - 34 (26), 31 (23), 80* (48)
Mack - 1 (3)
Villani - 7 (21), 7 (9)

Sutherland - 57 (72) & 1/41 (8)
Graham - 55 (65) & 2/46 (10), 3/42 (10)
Webb - DNP

Redmayne - 63 (88)
Wilson - 54 (51)
Faltum - 49 (54), 88* (83)
Dooley - DNP

Bates - 2/49 (9), 3/61 (9.1)
Strano - 1/43 (10)
Wellington - DNP
King - DNP

M. Brown - 2/18 (5)
Darlington - 2/37 (7), 3/54 (10)
Campbell - 7/25 (8)
D. Brown - DNP
Peschel - DNP

EDIT: **I should add it was reported Molineux is supposed to be good in time for the World Cup
 
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As I was saying, King clearly the next spinner in line... And Campbell, pfft, no chance of selection!

In the case of the latter though, and for Redmayne/Strano etc, it's probably better to be in the A squad and getting games under one's belt than to be the last picked in the main squad and just running drinks again.
 

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Wellington, who spins it more than Wareham and King but has less control (which would make her the MacGill), is no more hard done by than Bates. The reality is both are very weak in the field compared to every player selected.

No such weakness for Strano, but a 2nd off-spinner for the Test wouldn't serve much purpose. King can be entertained for all three formats though, so the route they went is understandable for a squad of 15 (smaller than I expected).
 

The Victorian

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Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck

Wellington can feel hard done by. Dumped after her single Ashes Test when she was still a teen. That was no way to treat a promising bowler. Now another kick in the teeth for the leggie Adam Gilchrist described as "a female version of a young Shane Warne". Alana King must be something else if she is rated over Wellington.


Australia A squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Katie Mack, Courtney Sippel, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Georgia Voll, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

Looking forward to watching Phoebe Litchfield. Big wraps on this girl. Big bopper Stella Campbell with have a big series.. betting on it.
Really proud seeing this team especially with Stars Nicole Faltum and Tess Flintoff in the Aus A team! Also proud of Katie Mack too- she has done a tone of work to get into this position and really deserves it.
 
There will be at least one person who doesn't agree with me on this, but hopefully this comes true and Perry is replaced in the T20 team.

Ellyse Perry's T20I place under scrutiny for start of Ashes

Regarding the Australian squad, it looks like a good team, a little surprised Gardner has held her place considering how she finished the WBBL and her recent WNCL performances hasn't been too great either. Hopefully that will change when she comes up against the Poms.
 

The Victorian

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There will be at least one person who doesn't agree with me on this, but hopefully this comes true and Perry is replaced in the T20 team.

Ellyse Perry's T20I place under scrutiny for start of Ashes

Regarding the Australian squad, it looks like a good team, a little surprised Gardner has held her place considering how she finished the WBBL and her recent WNCL performances hasn't been too great either. Hopefully that will change when she comes up against the Poms.
Gardner, Perry and Healy all should not have been guaranteed their spot in the squad but did because of their 'name'. They haven't had good seasons at all either in Aussie colours or for their WBBL/WNCL sides.
 
Gardner, Perry and Healy all should not have been guaranteed their spot in the squad but did because of their 'name'. They haven't had good seasons at all either in Aussie colours or for their WBBL/WNCL sides.
I wouldn't include the international series against India as Gardner and Perry were probably our two best in the test and all three had their moments in the ODI's and T20's. They weren't game winners but they were consistent contributors in most games.

The WBBL is a different story.
- Gardner bowled okay, especially early in the season, but her horror show was with the bat, outside of two fifties Gardner failed in most innings and finished with four consecutive ducks. She didn't play the final game.
- Healy had her worst season behind the stumps in terms of dismissals with only 2 catches and a stumping, in fact 6 Sixers outfielders took more catches than the wicketkeeper in WBBL11 which seems like a weird stat to me. I would suggest she had her worst series with the bat as well scoring only 2 fifties in 13 innings, including two ducks. Even her SR of 115 was low by her standards.
- Perry finished as the Sixers top run scorers with 358 runs, but with a SR of only 91.3 she was of greater assistance to the opponents than the Sixers. She was also the Sixers worst bowler taking 5 wickets @ 35.00. Thankfully she didn't bowl as many overs as our better bowlers as her ER was the worst as well at just under 8.
 
Really proud seeing this team especially with Stars Nicole Faltum and Tess Flintoff in the Aus A team! Also proud of Katie Mack too- she has done a tone of work to get into this position and really deserves it.
Happy for Katie Mack too, plays locally here in Canberra for my old club Tuggeranong.
 

Toe Poke

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There will be at least one person who doesn't agree with me on this, but hopefully this comes true and Perry is replaced in the T20 team.

Ellyse Perry's T20I place under scrutiny for start of Ashes

Regarding the Australian squad, it looks like a good team, a little surprised Gardner has held her place considering how she finished the WBBL and her recent WNCL performances hasn't been too great either. Hopefully that will change when she comes up against the Poms.

Perry has a solid defence, and her batting record in (rarely played) test matches is outstanding. 116 and 76 not out in 2019, then 68 not out and 1 not out against India last year.
I would imagine that she's still probably the best female Australian test match batter.

But as noted in the Cricinfo article, her strike rate is slow, and if it weren't for her reputation/brand name, she would struggle to get a game for Australia in the T20 format, particularly since her bowling has declined in the past couple of years.

However, the problems with the selected squad are that (1) it's only 15 players and (2) it's stacked with bowlers and all-rounders.

Apart from Healy, the only specialist batters are Mooney, Lanning and Haynes.

So for ODIs and T20s, we again have the bad situation where it seems that (if fit), Healy, Mooney, Lanning, Perry, Haynes, McGrath and Gardner are automatic selections, regardless of form. If Perry were to be excluded, that would players like Jonassen, Sutherland and Carey would be batting at numbers 7 and 8.
Those three players aren't hopeless with the bat, but they would not be selected for Australia on their batting ability alone.

Unfortunately the likes of Redmayne, Grace Harris, Mack, Villani and Litchfield were only selected for the "A" squad. Hopefully the selectors would consider promoting them to the Australian team if one of Healy, Mooney, Lanning, Perry, Haynes, McGrath or Gardner were sick or injured. With Covid spreading quickly, that's a strong possibility.

In the mean time, I would demote Perry to number 7 for the ODIs and T20s, with a batting order of:
ODIs: 1. Healy 2. Mooney 3. Lanning 4. Haynes 5. McGrath 6. Gardner (promoted to a higher batting position after approx. 30 overs) 7. Perry
T20s: 1. Healy 2. Mooney 3. Lanning 4. Gardner 5. Haynes 6. McGrath 7. Perry

Side note: Interesting to note that the Australia A squad of 15 players has better balance, with six batters (Redmayne, Grace Harris, Mack, Litchfield, Villani, Voll) plus Faltum plus Burns plus Graham.
 
Gardner, Perry and Healy all should not have been guaranteed their spot in the squad but did because of their 'name'. They haven't had good seasons at all either in Aussie colours or for their WBBL/WNCL sides.
If anybody has a guarantee based on name, it's Sutherland (good player, but so is Graham). And Lanning is guaranteed a spot because of the C next to her name--perhaps you forgot she's had the worst season of anybody in the squad.

So for ODIs and T20s, we again have the bad situation where it seems that (if fit), Healy, Mooney, Lanning, Perry, Haynes, McGrath and Gardner are automatic selections, regardless of form.
So you want selections based on form, and yet you also want Haynes and Perry moved down the ODI batting order despite scoring centuries in their last WNCL innings...
 

Toe Poke

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If anybody has a guarantee based on name, it's Sutherland (good player, but so is Graham). And Lanning is guaranteed a spot because of the C next to her name--perhaps you forgot she's had the worst season of anybody in the squad.


So you want selections based on form, and yet you also want Haynes and Perry moved down the ODI batting order despite scoring centuries in their last WNCL innings...

In the case of Perry, it is just the one good/excellent WNCL innings. Which is not a good indication of long-term form.

Haynes has done slightly better, with 96(119) and 118(132), but I believe Mooney has performed better in recent months/years in international matches. A demotion to number 4 is not a big move down the batting order.

My main concern is the poor balance of the Australian squad.

Of secondary concern is that Perry (and to a lesser extent Haynes) are being retained in the ODI and T20 teams partially based on their performances many years ago, and the fact that Haynes is the vice-captain.

When Haynes was unavailable for the Indian series, the selectors had a great opportunity to give Redmayne a game. Unfortunately they instead chose to select an additional all-rounder/bowler.
 
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Perry has a solid defence, and her batting record in (rarely played) test matches is outstanding. 116 and 76 not out in 2019, then 68 not out and 1 not out against India last year.
I would imagine that she's still probably the best female Australian test match batter.

But as noted in the Cricinfo article, her strike rate is slow, and if it weren't for her reputation/brand name, she would struggle to get a game for Australia in the T20 format, particularly since her bowling has declined in the past couple of years.

However, the problems with the selected squad are that (1) it's only 15 players and (2) it's stacked with bowlers and all-rounders.

Apart from Healy, the only specialist batters are Mooney, Lanning and Haynes.

So for ODIs and T20s, we again have the bad situation where it seems that (if fit), Healy, Mooney, Lanning, Perry, Haynes, McGrath and Gardner are automatic selections, regardless of form. If Perry were to be excluded, that would players like Jonassen, Sutherland and Carey would be batting at numbers 7 and 8.
Those three players aren't hopeless with the bat, but they would not be selected for Australia on their batting ability alone.

Unfortunately the likes of Redmayne, Grace Harris, Mack, Villani and Litchfield were only selected for the "A" squad. Hopefully the selectors would consider promoting them to the Australian team if one of Healy, Mooney, Lanning, Perry, Haynes, McGrath or Gardner were sick or injured. With Covid spreading quickly, that's a strong possibility.

In the mean time, I would demote Perry to number 7 for the ODIs and T20s, with a batting order of:
ODIs: 1. Healy 2. Mooney 3. Lanning 4. Haynes 5. McGrath 6. Gardner (promoted to a higher batting position after approx. 30 overs) 7. Perry
T20s: 1. Healy 2. Mooney 3. Lanning 4. Gardner 5. Haynes 6. McGrath 7. Perry
I don't think Perry's ODI career is over just yet, I'd still have her coming in at 4 or 5 ahead of Gardner and McGrath. In fact in ODI's she is a good foil for Gardner late in an innings, Gardner seems to be a little calmer and more controlled with Perry at the other end and as a result has contributed some nice scores in the recent series against NZ and India. I would consider selecting Perry as a specialist batter or perhaps someone who only bowls a few over each match, she has been struggling since her hamstring injury in the world cup and doesn't look like the bowler she once was.

As for T20's I'd prefer Sutherland ahead of Perry, and I don't really think Sutherland deservers her spot either. There are a couple in the A squad who are better options including Maitlan Brown or Heather Graham.

Side note: Interesting to note that the Australia A squad of 15 players has better balance, with six batters (Redmayne, Grace Harris, Mack, Litchfield, Villani, Voll) plus Faltum plus Burns plus Graham.
It would be interesting to see an Australia v Australia A game, I'd expect the Aussies to win with their stronger bowling line up and more experienced batting line up, but it may be closer than one thinks. :)
 
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In the case of Perry, it is just the one good/excellent WNCL innings. Which is not a good indication of long-term form.

Haynes has done slightly better, with 96(119) and 118(132), but I believe Mooney has performed better in recent months/years in international matches. A demotion to number 4 is not a big move down the batting order.
A career batting average of 50+ would be a good indication of long-term form. 120 off 94 last time in the middle would be a good indication of recent form. Put the two together and it's clear, the no.4 position is locked in.

Likewise, whatever parameters you set for the openers, Haynes has performed better in ODIs than Healy or Mooney or both.

My main concern is the poor balance of the Australian squad.

Of secondary concern is that Perry (and to a lesser extent Haynes) are being retained in the ODI and T20 teams partially based on their performances many years ago, and the fact that Haynes is the vice-captain.

When Haynes was unavailable for the Indian series, the selectors had a great opportunity to give Redmayne a game. Unfortunately they instead chose to select an additional all-rounder/bowler.
Adding another opener to the side in Redmayne is what would upset the balance of the team.

The selectors chose to persist with a player who is more suited to (and has more experience in) a middle order role. Player of the Series later, the jury is in, they nailed that selection.
 

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Another womens sporting event that will get carried, have no crowds and make no money for the game just for the sake of equality.
 
Another womens sporting event that will get carried, have no crowds and make no money for the game just for the sake of equality.
If you're so concerned about crowds and money, then you must want the Sheffield Shield to be abolished. Costs CA a lot more and generates far less revenue than the Women's Ashes.
 
This really needs to involve multiple Test matches. 3 would be a good number.

The women’s game needs a lot more Tests in general.
They need to play some two or four day cricket in their domestic competitions as well.
 
There were two England v England A T20s played on Sunday in Canberra. England A won both.

The scorecard from the first match is a real eyebrow raiser. Sophie Ecclestone took 7/14 before her team was bowled out for 103 to fall short by 40. In the second game, Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt batted twice and it still wasn't enough to prevent a four-wicket loss in the last over.

From the main squad, Mady Villiers, Kate Cross and Lauren Winfield-Hill didn't play--I don't know why. Villiers and Cross certainly travelled with the group to Adelaide today, unlike at least one support staff member who had to stay behind.

Aside from a good run with player availabilities, I have but one wish for this series, which is to have the Manuka Oval Test pitch be a carbon of what we just saw in Hobart.
 

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Mooney fractured her jaw last night at training getting throw downs.
 
The following isn't ideal ahead of the Ashes & World Cup - I know they've said they're waiting until after her surgery to put a return date on things, but would have to think Mooney will be unavailable for the Ashes, but a possiblity of being able to return for the WC which is about 44 days/6 weeks away

If they do rule Mooney out, who is most likely to take her spot, because we surely look at bringing in specialist bat rather than an all-rounder




Full details -

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/bet...lia-england-ashes-batter-world-cup/2022-01-18
 
Terrible news for Mooney and Australia, I hope she will be okay for the World Cup.

Rachel Haynes is an option for opener in the T20's, but they may also consider elevating Harris or Villani from the Aussie A team.
 

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A career batting average of 50+ would be a good indication of long-term form. 120 off 94 last time in the middle would be a good indication of recent form. Put the two together and it's clear, the no.4 position is locked in.

Likewise, whatever parameters you set for the openers, Haynes has performed better in ODIs than Healy or Mooney or both.

There's no dispute with Perry's excellent average in ODIs, but her career strike rate is poor, especially when compared to Healy, Lanning, Gardner and McGrath. Her position is "locked in", because there are so few alternatives in the named squad, and her brand name. Not because she scores quickly.

As for Haynes' record in ODIs and T20s, I think you are simply incorrect. Mooney's strike rate is higher in both formats. Ergo, I would prefer Mooney to open in both formats.

Adding another opener to the side in Redmayne is what would upset the balance of the team.

The selectors chose to persist with a player who is more suited to (and has more experience in) a middle order role. Player of the Series later, the jury is in, they nailed that selection.

We'll have to disagree about whether the addition of an "opener" would "upset the balance of the team". Ultimately batting (in ODIs and T20s) is about getting runs in a defined number of overs, and not getting out. Batting positions are largely irrelevant, particularly in the women's game - where batters are unlikely to be beaten by pace or swing bowling.
But as an aside - what was the point of selecting Redmayne in the Indian squad if she wasn't selected when Haynes was unavailable?

Regarding your last two sentences - it's likely you incorrectly assumed that I was referring to the selection of McGrath. I thought McGrath's selection was brilliant. I was referring mainly to the number 7 position, which was occupied by Carey and Wareham in the T20 series, and Sutherland in the test match. Eight bowling options was excessive for these matches, and the batting could have been strengthened by the omission of one of the bowlers/all-rounders in order to include Redmayne.
 
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