Darcie the weapon to fire the Aussie bid
ON arrival in South Africa for a tilt at a third consecutive T20 World Cup, Australian captain Meg Lanning was adamant the gap had closed between the defending champs and the rest of the world.
The Aussies had to evolve, and taking six different players from the squad that won the 2020 title was part of that.
They added the best T20 batter in the world, Tahlia McGrath, big-hitting Grace Harris and a new leg-spinner, Alana King.
But possibly the most threatening addition is 19year-old fast bowler Darcie Brown, who, in one warm-up game, showed the weapon she will be in the tournament.
Brown’s air speed eclipses anything most other teams can serve up and that showed as she snared 4-17 to skittle India for just 86 at Newlands Cricket Ground, well short of Australia’s modest total of 9-129 on a difficult pitch.
“She’ll be wonderful over here,” teammate and fellow seamer Megan Schutt said of Brown’s World Cup impact. “She’s a true blue fast bowler, but one who can swing the ball. I don’t think there’s many out there like Darcie Brown who bowls 125km/h and can swing it. I think she’ll be fabulous.”
Brown said she and the defending champions were really just blowing out the cobwebs. But her efforts were sure to pique the interest of all five Women’s Premier League teams ahead of the February 13 auction, with a big payday on offer as teams splurge $2.1m.
She was adamant, however, the Australians had not lost sight of their World Cup goal.
“We’ve discussed it, a few of the girls are going to go and might have a little bit of money but we have a World Cup first,” she said.
Australia begins its World Cup campaign against New Zealand on February 11.