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The so-called Big Four could be reunited in Australia's bowling attack with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon returning from injuries for a two-test cricket series next month against Bangladesh. Pace bowlers Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc and offspinner Lyon have been the long-time frontline attack for Australia but injuries have limited the frequency of all four combining in the same XI in recent series. Australia's selection committee chairman George Bailey on Tuesday said there was no certainties to start, but the returning bowlers are "all fit to go." "As you would expect, we won't be locking in an XI this far out, but we do know that across this two-test series the depth is there," Bailey said. "I'm sure that there will be (future) tests that that (Big Four) group play together." Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon, he said, "have worked extremely hard, individually and with the (fitness) teams, over the past few months to return from their respective injuries." The
Australian team proved its absolute supremacy in the women's game, winning an unprecedented seventh T20 World Cup title after making short work of hosts England by seven wickets in the final here on Sunday. Among the greatest sporting outfits across all sports, the Southern Stars made a mockery of a record chase of 151 runs, completing the formalities in only 17.1 overs with Sophie Molineux winning her first ICC title as skipper. Young Phoebe Litchfield (48 off 35 balls), possibly the best batter among the younger crop in women's cricket, stitched a 100-run stand with veteran Beth Mooney (64 off 49 balls) that basically decimated an English attack which had to defend a total that was at least 25 runs sub-par on a decent batting track. Their century stand came off just 69 balls -- a marker why Australian women are a few country miles ahead of other teams in terms of skill and quality. Litchfield, with superb hand-eye co-ordination, muscled her way to six fours and two sixes while ..
Australia cruised into yet another Women's Twenty20 World Cup final after hammering the West Indies by eight wickets at The Oval on Tuesday. The West Indies made 125-7 and the inadequacy of that total was exposed by Australia hunting it down with seven overs to spare. Opener Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner partnered in the seventh over of the chase and smoked the bowlers in an unbeaten combination of 63 runs from 37 balls for a winning 127-2. Mooney had 61 from 36 balls and her eighth T20 World Cup fifty, tied for the most with New Zealand's Suzie Bates. Gardner had 35 from 20 and the winning runs from a fourth boundary flicked off her pads. Undefeated Australia will chase its seventh T20 World Cup crown in its eighth final in 10 tournaments. At Lord's on Sunday it will face host England or South Africa. Their semifinal is on Thursday at The Oval. "The T20 World Cup, you just have to ride it. It's full of momentum, swings," Australia captain Sophie Molineux said. "The group's really .
Opener Cooper Connoly hit his maiden century as Australia overcame a six-wicket haul by pacer Shoriful Islam for a hard-fought one-wicket victory against Bangladesh in the third cricket one-day international to avoid a clean sweep on Sunday. The hosts won the first match by 86 runs and the second game by five wickets, both on the DLS method, to register their first ODI series victory against Australia. Chasing a target of 275, Connolly batted resolutely to hit 149 off 134 balls as Australia appeared set for a victory with ease. Connolly struck 13 fours and six sixes, including three sixes in a row against pacer Taskin Ahmed in the 45th over, an over in which he scored 21 runs to leave the side needing just 9 runs off 30 balls. Shoriful returned for his last spell and took three wickets in two overs to finish with a career-best 6-48, briefly raising the prospect of a Bangladesh victory. But Connolly anchored the innings throughout to bail the side out against a vaunted Bangladesh .
Australia translated their overwhelming dominance over the last three days into a lop-sided 10-wicket win over India in the one-off women's day-night Test here on Sunday. Australia earlier did the ground work for their victory, bowling out India for 149 in their second innings, and then scaled down a nominal target of 25 without any ado. It was also a fitting farewell for skipper Alyssa Healy, who ended her career in Baggy Green with a magnificent win over a rival against whom she always excelled. Writing was very much on the wall once India started the third day at 105 for six. Overnight India batters Pratika Rawal (63) and Sneh Rana (30) took India to 132. Rawal showed excellent temperament during her fifty but the task was way too tall for her to manage. Once Rana was ousted by Ash Gardener with a quick delivery taking out the batter's off-stump, India combusted quickly. A combination of Gardner and Player of the Match Annabel Sutherland fittingly ended India's innings. Suther