Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Sydney Thunder pair Phoebe Litchfield and Tahlia Wilson have today been named in the Australia and Australia A squads by Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel for the upcoming CommBank Women’s Ashes Tour of the UK.
Thunder young gun Phoebe Litchfield is set to continue to her stellar rise with the 19-year-old the only change to the Australian squad which secured a record-breaking sixth T20 World Cup title in South Africa last month.
The Thunder’s leading run-scorer for WBBL|08 (280 runs at 23.33) Litchfield made her T20I debut in India in December followed by a one-day international debut in January.
Thunder keeper-bat Tahlia Wilson will additionally make her first appearance in Australian colours, named in the Australia A side for the tour.
Australia is set to play one Test match, three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals as part of the multi-format series from mid-June to mid-July, while the Australia A squad will play three T20s as well as three 50-over fixtures, running concurrently to the Ashes.
Additionally, Australia and England will each play a three-day warm-up against England A and Australia A respectively in preparation for the Test match at Trent Bridge beginning on June 22.
Australia’s squad for the One-Day series against Ireland is set to be announced at the conclusion of the Women’s Ashes Test in Nottingham.
Cricket Australia’s Head of Performance (Women’s Cricket) and National Selector, Shawn Flegler said:
“Following the success of the side at the recent T20 World Cup, the focus now turns to the exciting challenge of retaining the Ashes away from home.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a consistent side across all formats over the past couple of years and as a result we have selected a similar group to the squad which won the T20 World Cup in February.
“Phoebe Litchfield has taken her game to the next level in the past 12 months, we view her as a long-term player for Australia and it’s pleasing to reward her progress with selection in an Ashes squad.
“The Australia A squad contains experienced performers in domestic cricket, along with several emerging players who we believe have exciting futures ahead of them.
“It’s hugely beneficial to have an Australia A component to the tour and provide an opportunity for our developing players to test themselves in conditions they may not experience in Australia.
“The nature of the concurrent tours also offers flexibility and allows players to be available for and cross over into both squads, whether it be from a preparation perspective or to provide an opportunity at international level.
Australia Squad:
Meg Lanning (VIC/Box Hill CC) – captain
Darcie Brow (SA/Northern Districts CC)
Ashleigh Gardner (NSW/Bankstown CC)
Kim Garth (VIC/Dandenong CC)
Grace Harris (QLD/Western Suburbs CC)
Alyssa Healy (NSW/Sydney CC)
Jess Jonassen (QLD/Valleys Districts CC)
Alana King (WA/Midland Guildford CC)
Phoebe Litchfield (NSW/Penrith CC)
Tahlia McGrath (SA/Glenelg CC)
Beth Mooney (WA/Sandgate-Redcliff CC)
Ellyse Perry (VIC/Dandenong CC)
Megan Schutt (SA/Sturt CC)
Annabel Sutherland (VIC/Prahran CC)
Georgia Wareham (VIC/Essendon Maribyrnong Park CC)
Australia A Squad:
Maitlan Brown (NSW/Sydney CC)
Lauren Cheatle (NSW/Campbelltown Camden District CC)
Maddy Darke (WA/Subiaco-Floreat CC)
Nicole Faltum (VIC/Dandenong CC)
Tess Flintoff (VIC/Ringwood CC)
Heather Graham (TAS/Clarence District CC)
Charli Knott (QLD/University of Queensland CC)
Kate Peterson (SA/Glenelg CC)
Courtney Sippel (QLD/Gold Coast District CC)
Tayla Vlaeminck (VIC/Plenty Valley CC)
Courtney Webb (SA/Glenelg CC)
Amanda-Jade Wellington (SA/West Torrens CC)
Tahlia Wilson (NSW/St George-Sutherland CC)
CommBank Women’s Ashes Tour of the UK 2023:
Jun 15-17: Three-day warm-up match vs. England A | County Ground, Leicester
Jun 22-26: Test match | Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Jul 1: First T20I | Edgbaston, Birmingham
Jul 5: Second T20I | The Oval, London
Jul 8: Third T20I | Lord’s, London
Jul 12: First ODI | County Ground, Bristol
Jul 16: Second ODI | The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Jul 18: Third ODI | County Ground, Taunton
Australia A v England A:
Jun 15-17: Three-day warm-up match vs. England
Jun 21: First T20
Jun 23: Second T20
Jun 25: Third T20
Jun 28: First 50-over
Jun 30: Second 50-over
Jul 2: Third 50-over
*Venues TBC
Name of Author: Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder is an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at Sydney Showground Stadium, the Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.
