Southern Stars take heart from defeat

The Ashes credentials of the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars were tested to the limit on Saturday against a strong men's Indigenous XI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

The National Indigenous Squad were unsurprisingly a class above the Aussie women for most of the match, with the power hitting of opener D'arcy Short, the pace of the NIS bowlers and their agility in the field proving too much as they cruised to victory by 238 runs.

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Darcy Short was a powerhouse for the NIS // Getty Images

But in a positive sign ahead of the Ashes opener in Somerset on July 21, the Southern Stars fought hard to claw their way back into the match after Short had blasted the NIS to 1-199 from 25 overs.

With a total of well in excess 400 on the cards, Short's dismissal for 113 from 75 balls triggered a dramatic turnaround in the NIS's innings, with the next 25 overs yielding 6-156 as the men finished with 7-355 from 50 overs.

Facing bowling of higher quality than what is normally seen in the women's game, Australia's top order took the opportunity to dig in and get some much-needed time in the middle ahead of a rare plunge into the world of four-day cricket during the Ashes.

With runs difficult to come by against the quicks and the victory target well out of reach, openers Nicole Bolton and Ellyse Villani resisted early before captain Meg Lanning and Jess Cameron steered the total to 2-68.

It would be of the great frustration, then, that eight of the ten Southern Stars wickets fell to spin, with Cameron's dismissal sparking a collapse of 4-3 as the Aussie women were eventually bowled out for 117 in the 42nd over.

In their final warm-up match before heading to the UK, the Stars went into the match without two key players; star allrounder Ellyse Perry was confined to her hotel room with the flu, while fast-bowler Rene Farrell was restricted to a light net session as she continues to battle a knee complaint.

The NIS batted first and Short, a stocky left-handed opener who could easily be confused at first glance with former Australia T20 batsman Travis Birt, took to the Stars’ opening bowlers.

Quicks Megan Schutt and Holly Ferling copped the brunt of the early onslaught, with Ferling at one point conceding 13 from one legal delivery as Short deposited a no-ball over the mid-wicket fence and then the free hit over the rope at long-off.

The 19-year-old fast-bowler had earlier got the initial breakthrough when she had Preston White caught down the leg-side but it was the only early wicket as Short and Ben Abbatangelo (62 from 55) laid the platform for what appeared destined to be a sizeable total.

But Schutt returned to the attack to remove Short, whose innings of 113 including eight fours and six sixes, before Abbatangelo was run out thanks to some sharp work in the field from Bolton.

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Megan Schutt (right) celebrates one of her three wickets // Getty Images

The NIS never really got going again as Schutt's fortunes mirrored that of her side; having been smashed for 24 from her first three overs, the right-armer took 3-32 from her next six to be the pick of the attack.

Ferling (2-41 from seven) and off-spinner Grace Harris (1-33 from three) were the other wicket-takers while Jess Jonassen - who is eyeing off a Test debut in Canterbury next month - finished with 0-47 from seven as she and Delissa Kimmince (0-20 from four) helped keep the run rate down in the middle to late overs.

Leg-spinner Kristen Beams, also considered a good chance to make her Test debut in the Ashes, finished with 0-71 from her eight overs, but had a straight-forward catch put down at mid-wicket and created several other nervous moments for the NIS batsmen.

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Delissa Kimmince dives to stop a boundary // Getty Images

Kimmince top-scored in the chase with 21 from 31 balls, including two towering sixes, but it was one of few bright spots late in the innings as the NIS bowlers proved too strong.

NIS spinners Preston White (4-10 from ten overs with four maidens) and Brandon King 3-38 were the pick of the bowlers, while seamer Brendon Smith took 2-17.

The Southern Stars will now enjoy a week off before flying to the UK on Monday week ahead of the first of three one-day internationals against England in Taunton on July 21.

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