Selectors stick to winning formula

Without any Women’s National Cricket League or Women’s T20 matches over the weekend, players went back to club land to gain valuable time in the middle.

Many of those players, namely the 13 selected for the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars’ squads to take on the West Indies next month, would have been extremely happy.

The Women’s National Selection Panel announced two 13-player squads to contest against the athletic Caribbean side and, as expected, the selectors decided to stick with a winning formula, naming the same group who enjoyed a clean sweep against Pakistan in August and September.

The selectors did make a couple of tweaks between the One-Day International and Twenty20 International squads that played against Pakistan however.

With Holly Ferling still recovering from her back injury and therefore not selected for this series, the Southern Stars looked to be lacking a true pace option, which is a necessity against the big-hitting West Indians.

Thankfully, Ellyse Perry has returned to bowling following a knee injury and showed she is ready, with three wickets against the Tradies ACT Meteors two weekends ago and a solid outing with the balls as captain of a Cricket Australia XI that won both matches against the touring Caribbean outfit this week.

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With Perry back and bowling, Megan Schutt unfortunately misses out on selection in the ODI squad.

When Schutt first burst onto the scene at the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2013, the right arm quick was the only in-swing bowler performing consistently in the domestic competition.

However, with the return of Rene Farrell to cricket following a self-imposed break from the game, competition for that in-swing position has grown fiercer, and Farrell’s experience and ability with the bat appear to have her slightly ahead in eyes of the selectors.

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Commonwealth Bank VicSpirit leg-spinner Kristen Beams has retained her spot in the ODI squad and has also been included in the T20 squad following a great debut against Pakistan, at the expense of Victorian teammate Julie Hunter.

While she wasn’t able to pick up a bag of wickets, Beams did show why she is considered the number one leg-spinner in the country, bowling with control and consistency to help build pressure – often resulting in wickets at the other end.

I have certainly been shocked by the West Indians’ ability to hit a good length ball over a grandstand but Beams’ leg-breaks, that take the ball away from the right-handers, are a rare commodity in the women’s game and I expect the Victorian, by way of Tasmania, to cause trouble for the touring top order.

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While the bowlers jostle for their spot in the starting XI, the Southern Stars batting is as strong as it has ever been.

The inclusion of Elyse Villani in the ODI squad, after she only played the T20Is against Pakistan, only strengthens the lineup.

Personally, I would hate to be a selector on tour trying to figure out a batting order.

The only positions that appear up for grabs appear to be in the bowling department, with the home side’s lack of fast-bowling depth, without Perry or Ferling, exposed by the Pakistan batters.

With that in mind, eyes will be keenly set on domestic attacks around the country as the Southern Stars prepare for an Ashes campaign in the middle of next year.

One player that could step up to the next level, but needs more opportunity, is Kara Sutherland from the NSW Lend Lease Breakers.

Sutherland has been working extremely hard over the last couple of years and impressed for the Perry-captained CA XI, picking up 2-17 and 1-19 in the two T20s.

She has developed the ability to swing the ball back into the right handers, a skill that has proved invaluable in the men’s game, and one that may well book Sutherland’s ticket to England next year.

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