All-rounder proves she’s anything but average
AUSTRALIAN batting sensation Tahlia Mcgrath has given England’s bowlers a tempting insight into how they might get her out in the second T20 of the Women’s Ashes at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
The all-rounder smashed an unbeaten – and matchwinning – 91 (from 49 balls) in the first Ashes T20 on Thursday night but said her game certainly had its weaknesses.
“I’m susceptible to full tosses and then short and out wide I’m rubbish at, I can’t believe I just said that out loud but they are my weaknesses,” Mcgrath said. The 26-year-old South Australian has relished her return to the national side following a four-year absence from the green and gold.
Since making her T20 international debut in October last year she has played four T20IS for Australia, batted in three of those matches and been unbeaten in each, scoring 42, 44 and 91. This means she is yet to have an official batting average.
The Aussie batting line-up required an unwelcome reshuffle after opener Beth Mooney fractured her jaw in training, which saw captain Meg Lanning promoted to opener and Mcgrath joined her at the crease at No. 3 when Alyssa Healy was caught for seven in the fourth over.
Mcgrath described her unbeaten 91 (49 balls with 13 fours and a six) in Australia’s ninewicket win as “a lot of fun”.
“There was a lot of talk about who was going to open … I had no idea where I was going to bat and in (Wednesday’s) team meeting I saw my name listed at three and had to double-check and wasn’t sure it was legit,” she said. “But we’ve got so much confidence in this side no matter who bats at the top of the order we know they’re going to do the job.”
“I know T-mac from playing at the Strikers and I said to her that’s one of the best innings I’ve ever seen,” England opener Tammy Beaumont said. “We’ll come back with something, for sure.”