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Australia already holds each the one-day and T20 Girls’s World Cup trophies, in addition to the Girls’s Ashes. Nonetheless, Meg Lanning is hungry for extra.
The captain of the world’s primary facet will enter unchartered territory on July 29 when she leads her group out onto the sphere at Edgbaston for the opening match of the Commonwealth Video games.
The T20 format makes its debut in Birmingham, as do the ladies, as the game returns to the occasion for the primary time since 1998 when a males’s 50-over competitors was staged in Kuala Lumpur.
Again then, Steve Waugh’s Australian facet needed to accept silver after being outclassed by South Africa within the remaining. Twenty-four years later, Lanning is hoping to go one additional and clinch gold.
She’s acutely conscious this could be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative, contemplating there is not any assure T20 cricket will probably be included on the subsequent Commonwealth Video games in Victoria in 2026.
The Worldwide Cricket Council has additionally been campaigning to get the game again onto the Olympics program for Los Angeles 2028, however that is six years down the observe and who is aware of the place she’ll be by then.
“Definitely, the purpose is to win gold,” Lanning instructed the ABC.
“I keep in mind watching a whole lot of the swimming and hockey on the Commonwealth Video games rising up and actually loving the teamwork of the Australian athletes throughout a variety of sports activities, however as a result of cricket was by no means actually part of it, I did not anticipate to have the ability to get this opportunity myself.
“As a gaggle we’re trying to embrace this chance as a result of being a part of a wider Australian group is new for us, and it may not be one thing we ever get to do once more.”
Ought to the cricketers fulfil their potential and make the ultimate on August 7, Australia might be vying for a number of medals in ladies’s groups sports activities on the someday, with finals for the hockey, seaside volleyball and netball all scheduled to happen.
India, the sleeping big
So, who stands of their means?
Australia will face India, Barbados (representing the West Indies) and Pakistan within the group levels and though the Aussies head in as favourites – having already overwhelmed a lot of the international locations competing on the Commonwealth Video games of their profitable one-day World Cup marketing campaign simply 4 months in the past – Lanning says it is vital the group do not change into complacent.
“We have got a reasonably powerful group stage that we’ll must get by, so it is not going to be straightforward by any means,” she stated.
“It is a related set-up to a World Cup in that there is not a lot room for error, you have to play good cricket from the get-go and India will definitely be a take a look at first-up.
“The West Indies are additionally a harmful group and Pakistan present a special problem as a result of they bowl a whole lot of spin and are skilful, so we actually have to be taking part in effectively from the very begin.”
Australia are the present T20 world champions, nonetheless, the unpredictability of the format means nothing is assured.
Even in the course of the group’s distinctive interval of dominance in one-day cricket from October 2017 to September 2021, the place they set a world file successful streak by claiming 26 matches in a row, Australia had been unable to duplicate that form of consecutive success within the shorter white-ball format.
The T20 ledger was nonetheless effectively of their favour throughout that point, 36 wins — 10 losses, however as a result of they’ve dropped a sport right here and there, different international locations will know they’re inclined on this format.
One explicit loss that appears to hang-out the Australians is the opening match of the 2020 Girls’s T20 World Cup, the place the hosts suffered a 17-run upset towards India to begin their marketing campaign on the again foot.
The tempo of Shikha Pandey (3/14) and legspin from Poonam Yadav (4/19) noticed Australia lose 9 of their batters for single digits and though they obtained their revenge within the remaining and have since overwhelmed India in a multi-format sequence in late 2021, the truth examine they obtained that evening nonetheless lingers behind their minds.
Surprisingly, India have since dropped Pandey, whereas Yadav was named within the wider squad for the Commonwealth Video games however not the principle group. Even with out these superstars, Lanning believes India are the group to beat.
“We have skilled that unpredictability in T20s over time, the place one participant can take the sport away from you inside a few overs,” Lanning stated.
“Hopefully it is us with the gold on the finish, but when not, they will give it problem.”
Australian gamers to observe
Whereas England has been experiencing a heatwave, Australia’s preparations in Eire have largely been disrupted by rain.
Collaborating in a T20 Worldwide Tri-series in Bready, the group remained undefeated and topped the group with 12 factors to win the event after they beat Eire twice and needed to abandon each of their matches towards Pakistan because of moist climate.
Due to this (in addition to Australia’s energy chasing totals), the center order will head into the Video games a little bit underdone, contemplating the group had been solely pressured to play deeper than their prime two to 3 batters in a single out of three innings.
It additionally marks a little bit of an unlucky sample for the Australians with regards to the climate, with 4 of their seven T20 Internationals scheduled to date in 2022 rained off.
Fortunately, the bowlers have had ample time to apply.
Quick-bowler Megan Schutt turned the second Australian to achieve the milestone of 100 T20I wickets in the course of the sequence, becoming a member of the elite firm of Ellyse Perry who presently sits on 115.
While legspinner Alanna King has been thriving within the northern hemisphere situations, taking eight scalps at an financial system charge of three.83 to be declared the participant of the sequence.
“Alana has been superb since she made her debut within the Ashes in January and on this event she’s been wonderful too,” Lanning stated.
“She’s obtained some actually good variation and is popping the ball, but additionally attacking the stumps, and that actually places the doubt within the batter’s thoughts, so she’ll play a large position for us within the Commonwealth Video games.”
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When she did get an opportunity to bat, Tahlia McGrath (70) was one other stand-out, forging a 140-run partnership with Lanning (74) in Australia’s second match towards Eire.
It is the second time the all-rounder has constructed a giant complete alongside the captain this yr and the fourth time she’s claimed a T20I participant of the match award.
“Tahlia has change into a very vital participant for us, as a result of she has this potential to get the sport transferring, she’s a boundary hitter and isn’t afraid to take a danger,” Lanning stated.
“As a batter on the different finish that provides you a whole lot of confidence that you could simply proceed to play your pure sport as effectively, so she takes strain off.
“Though she has been out and in of the group over time, Tahlia actually believes she belongs at this degree now and that confidence means she’s taking part in with freedom.”
Commonwealth Video games fixtures
Friday, July 29, 8pm AEST – Australia vs India at Edgbaston
Sunday, August 1, 3am AEST – Australia vs Barbados at Edgbaston
Wednesday, August 3, 8pm AEST – Australia vs Pakistan at Edgbaston
Saturday, August 6, 8pm / Sunday 7 August 3am AEST– Semi-finals at Edgbaston
Sunday, August 7, 7pm AEST – Bronze medal match at Edgbaston
Monday, August 8, 2am AEST – Gold medal match at Edgbaston
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