With egos in control, Aussies find winning formula for T20
AUSTRALIA is confident it has found the winning formula for its women’s Twenty20 World Cup defence with preparations set to ramp up this weekend.
The Aussies will begin their home summer against Sri Lanka on Sunday, in the first of three T20s at North Sydney Oval.
That series will then be followed by a one-day series against Sri Lanka, before a T20 tri-series with India and England in the lead-up to the global tournament in February and March.
The women will be aiming to win their first World Cup on home soil since the one-day trophy was claimed in 1988.
Selectors yesterday stuck with an unchanged 14-player squad from the one that conquered the West Indies earlier this month, with the winning formula seemingly set.
It means spinner Sophie Molineux continues to be rested with a shoulder injury, while allrounder Heather Graham remains a chance of a debut after going uncapped in the Caribbean.
“We’ve got a really stable core group for a long period of time now and that has certainly helped,” star wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy said.
“There are a lot of players around the fringe that are putting their hands up for selection and knowing they can put their hand up if called upon.”
Australia has never lost to Sri Lanka and has dropped just two of its past 34 games against all opponents in all formats dating back to March.
If it clean sweeps Sri Lanka in next month’s three-match one-day series in Brisbane, it will break its own record for the most consecutive wins in the format at 18.
“We’ve found a formula that works,” Healy said.
“The maturity of our side at the moment, there are no real egos in our group.”
Australia squad: Meg Lanning (capt), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Heather Graham, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.