Western Australians headline National Red Ball Squads

The National Selection Panel (NSP) has named the following 14-player squad for the CommBank Women’s Test against South Africa at the WACA Ground in Perth. 

Star Western Australian pair Alana King and Beth Mooney are set to feature in the four-day fixture, after both earned selection following consistent international form over the past 12 months.

If selected in the Final XI at the WACA Ground, it would be King and Mooney's first Test at their home ground and the first Women's Test match hosted at the venue since 2013.

Victorian captain Sophie Molineux has been selected for an Australian squad for the first time since October 2021. 

After a year-long layoff due to a ruptured ACL, Molineux returned to competitive cricket late last year. Last month, she led the Governor-General’s XI to a 4-wicket win over South Africa, scoring 59 and taking 1-26. 

The leading wicket-taker in the 2023-24 WNCL season, Molineux has 17 wickets at an average of 14.47 and a best of 6-45 since her return in December. 

Australian squad for the CommBank Women’s Test  
Alyssa Healy (NSW / Sydney CC) (C) 
Darcie Brown (SA / Northern Districts CC)  
Ashleigh Gardner (NSW / Bankstown CC)  
Kim Garth (VIC / Dandenong CC)  
Jess Jonassen (QLD / Valley Districts CC)  
Alana King (WA / Midland Guildford CC)  
Phoebe Litchfield (NSW / Sydney University CC)  
Tahlia McGrath (SA / Glenelg CC) (VC) 
Sophie Molineux (VIC / Dandenong CC) 
Beth Mooney (WA / Sandgate-Redcliffe CC)  
Ellyse Perry (VIC / Dandenong CC)  
Megan Schutt (SA / Sturt CC)  
Annabel Sutherland (VIC / Prahran CC)  
Georgia Wareham (VIC / Essendon Maribyrnong Park CC) 

Meanwhile, five WA players will feature in a three-day 'Green v Gold' red ball fixture to be played at Karen Rolton Oval between 5-7 March.

Maddy Darke, Chloe Piparo, Amy Edgar, Lilly Mills and Alana King have all been selected, with the match providing an opportunity for the best domestic players in the country to prepare for the red-ball format of the game.

Darke (442 runs at 63.71) and Piparo (437 at 54.62) enter the match in superb individual form, with the pair currently sitting second and third respectively in the Women's National Cricket League leading run-scorers list. 

Mills (16 wickets at 20.37) and Edgar (15 at 21.40) have been the key pillars in the WA bowling attack in the WNCL this summer, with the spin pair guiding their side to third place on the ladder after ten matches.

Green Squad 
Heather Graham (TAS / Clarence District CC) (C) 
Maitlan Brown (NSW / Sydney Cricket Club) 
Maddy Darke (WA / Subiaco-Floreat CC) 
Amy Edgar (WA / Melville District CC) 
Alana King (WA / Midland-Guildford CC) 
Chloe Piparo (WA / Midland-Guildford CC) (VC) 
Lilly Mills (WA / Midland-Guildford CC) 
Kate Peterson (SA / Glenelg CC) 
Sophie Reid (VIC / Carlton CC) 
Hayley Silver-Holmes (TAS / Newtown CC) 
Courtney Sippel (QLD / Gold Coast District CC) 
Tayla Vlaeminck (VIC / Plenty Valley CC) 
Georgia Voll (QLD / Sandgate-Redcliffe CC) 

Gold Squad 
Charli Knott (QLD / Valley District CC) (C) 
Emma de Broughe (SA / Sturt CC) 
Darcie Brown (SA / Northen Districts CC) 
Sophie Day (VIC / Prahran CC) 
Nicole Faltum (VIC / Dandenong CC) (VC) 
Tess Flintoff (VIC / Ringwood CC) 
Kim Garth (VIC / Dandenong CC) 
Sianna Ginger (QLD / Valley District CC) 
Milly Illingworth (VIC / Essendon Maribyrnong Park CC) 
Katie Mack (ACT / Weston Creek Molonglo CC) 
Grace Parsons (QLD / Gold Coast District CC) 
Courtney Webb (SA / Glenelg CC) 
Amanda-Jade Wellington (SA / West Torrens CC)