Healy, Gardner out amid injury drama; England bowl at the SCG – T20 IPL 2024

England won the toss and decided to bowl against Australia

Injury-hit Australia have lost the toss and been sent in to bat in the opening Women’s Ashes T20I against England.

Ashleigh Gardner will miss the match with what Cricket Australia described as “a low grade calf strain” while captain Alyssa Healy was earlier ruled out with soreness in her right foot, the same one in which she ruptured the plantar fascia during the T20 World Cup in October. Gardner’s condition will be assessed over the next 48 hours to determine her availability for the next game, in Canberra on Thursday.

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As a result of their injury woes, Australia have handed a T20I debut to Georgia Voll, the 21-year-old opener from Queensland who impressed with a century in just her second ODI when she replaced Healy – who then had a knee injury – during India’s visit late last year. Voll will open alongside Beth Mooney, who will keep wicket, as she did during that series and Australia’s subsequent tour of New Zealand, where Healy played as a batter only. Grace Harris will provide some middle-order firepower in Gardner’s absence.

Meanwhile, Australians have chosen a dual leg-spin attack in selecting Alana King and Georgia Wareham.

England have plumped for a three-pronged spin attack, as flagged by captain Heather Knight on the eve of the match, choosing their own legspinner, Sarah Glenn, alongside left-armer Sophie Ecclestone and offspinner Charlie Dean.

Australia are on the verge of retaining the Ashes with this match offering them the chance to go 8-0 up in the series. In that case, the best England could hope for would be to win the remaining two T20Is and the Test to level the series at 8-8, which would still see the hosts retain the Ashes.

England: Maia Bouchier, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (capt), Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell

Australia: Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

Valkerie Baynes is a general editor, women’s cricket, at ESPNcricinfo

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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