The inaugural Under 19 T20 World Cup in South Africa is all set to begin on 14th January where 16 teams will be featured. When it comes to Australia, they are one of the strongest teams across formats and here too they are no less. However, Australia’s line-up for this marquee event includes a number of well-known players from the Weber WBBL.
Following the end of the U19 Female National Championships in Perth, Australia announced their 15-player touring party for the T20 competition, along with four non-travelling reserves. The Australian team will be managed by head coach Sarah Aley and her assistant coaches Erin Osborne and Dulip Samaraweera. The team consists of eight players with domestic experience. Notably, Australia have been placed in Group A and will play group matches against Bangladesh, the United States, and Sri Lanka.
As far as the performances are concerned, at the WACA Ground last month, NSW Metro defeated Victoria Country by six wickets to win the U19 National Championships. Claire Moore, captain of NSW Metro, had a fantastic week that culminated in her being voted Player of the Tournament. Moore led her team to triumph with 371 runs at an average of 92.75 runs per game at the National Championships, including an unbeaten 62 in the Final.
What could we expect?
The first U19 T20 World Cup will not deviate from Australia’s women’s teams’ tradition of consistently aiming for the greatest accolades over the past decade or more. With more than half of the team already having competed at the highest level in the WBBL and domestic one-day tournaments, they may be expected to easily defeat Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the USA.
However, they will undoubtedly have harder challenges in the knockout stages, but anything less than a Final appearance would be unexpected.
Players to watch out for Australia:
Ella Hayward: The Victoria all-rounder, Ella Hayward, who went on to play 30 WBBL games for the Melbourne Renegades after making her elite debut in 2020, has established herself as a well-known figure on the domestic stage. The 19-year-old Native American was the top scorer in the Under 19 Female National Championships this year and is also a skilled batter.
The U19 T20 World Cup, though, is where Hayward is most likely to make an impression when paired with Amy Smith, a rising leg-spinner. Hayward has more WBBL experience than Smith, who has 35 T20 games for the Hobart Hurricanes after making his debut for the Tasmanian Tigers at the age of 14.
No one finished off the year on a high quite the same as Lucy Hamilton and now the 15-year-old cricketer is setting her sights on the new year. After a well deserved break, she is getting ready to get back in the swing of things. https://t.co/kDhhmxDYB0 @emmaha11iday #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/N1qhV98PZZ
— 7NEWS Wide Bay (@7NewsWideBay) January 11, 2022
Lucy Hamilton: Queensland-contracted player Lucy Hamilton made her debut for Brisbane Heat in WBBL|08. The left-arm quick can easily make the opponents uncomfortable in the middle. Along with bowling at a decent pace, she can bat as well. Her all-round abilities will help her side on the big stage.
Australia U19 Squad:
Chloe Ainsworth (Western Australia/Melville Cricket Club)
Jade Allen (NSW Country/Universities Women’s Cricket Club)
Charis Bekker (Western Australia/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Paris Bowdler (Victoria Country/Prahran Cricket Club)
Maggie Clark (South Australia/West Torrens Cricket Club)
Sianna Ginger (Queensland/Valley District Cricket Club)
Lucy Hamilton (Queensland/Sunshine Coast Cricket Club)
Ella Hayward (Victoria Metro/Melbourne Cricket Club)
Milly Illingworth (Victoria Country/Essendon Maribyrnong Park Cricket Club)
Eleanor Larosa (South Australia/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Rhys McKenna (Victoria Country/Prahran Cricket Club)
Claire Moore (NSW Metro/Paramatta Cricket Club)
Kate Pelle (NSW Metro/Penrith Cricket Club)
Amy Smith (Tasmania/New Town Cricket Club)
Ella Wilson (South Australia/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Non-travelling reserve players
Paris Hall (South Australia/West Torrens Cricket Club)
Samira Dimeglio (NSW Metro/Sydney Cricket Club)
Sara Kennedy (Victoria Country/Carlton Cricket Club)
Olivia Henry (Victoria Metro/Ringwood Cricket Club)
Ananaya Sharma (NSW Metro/Sydney Cricket Club)
Fixtures:
Jan 14: Australia v Bangladesh, Willowmoore Park (Benoni)
Jan 17: Australia v USA, Willowmoore Park (Benoni)
Jan 19: Australia v Sri Lanka, Willowmoore Park (Benoni)
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