'Disappointed' Lanning ready to go big v SA

After being "disappointed" with her own output during Australia's series whitewash of Sri Lanka in September, Meg Lanning is targeting big runs on home soil this summer. 

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars captain scored 107 runs at 35.6 during the four-match one-day international tour of Sri Lanka, with her highest score of 43 coming in the final match.

Since returning home, Lanning has been in stunning form, scoring 359 runs at 119.66 for Victoria in four Women's National Cricket League outings to date, with two centuries including a record-breaking 190 in Hobart.

Quick single: Stars name ODI squad for SA

It bodes well for a big ODI series against South Africa, which kicks off at Canberra's Manuka Oval on November 18.

"I was disappointed after Sri Lanka to not make any big scores," Lanning said in Melbourne on Tuesday.

"So I was keen to really go on with it and make a big score if I got the chance in the domestic season to really go on with it and make big scores.

"I'm happy with where my game is at the moment and hopefully that translates into big scores against South Africa."

Should Lanning manage to make it past fifty during any of Australia's five ODIs against the Proteas, history suggests she'll turn it into triple figures.

The 24-year-old has a remarkable eight one-day centuries and nine half-centuries to her name from just 49 matches, a conversion rate of 47 per cent. Only South Africa's Quinton de Kock (57.89 per cent) currently fares better in 50-over cricket.

She needs just one more ton to equal England great Charlotte Edwards's record for most ODI centuries – an achievement that seems only a matter of time for the world's top batter. 

Lanning's WNCL 190 against Tasmania late last month broke her own previous domestic record of 175, while her highest ODI score is the 135no she scored against West Indies in 2014.

Quick single: Stars won't underestimate SA

Asked if she could go even further against the Proteas by posting an ODI double ton, Lanning said she hadn't given much thought to it, but would be delighted to join the one-day 200-plus club – a group that contains just one Australian - Belinda Clark, who scored 229no in 1997 – who is also the only female of the six players to have achieved the feat.

"It's not something I've thought about, if chance came up it'd be great to be able to do that,” she said.

"Generally it's pretty hard to get 200, so it'd have to be a special day. Belinda Clark has done it in the past. It'd be nice."

Australia's 13-player squad for the first three ODIs of the five-match series was named on Tuesday, with spinner Erin Osborne and left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle the contracted players to miss out.

With a host of talented young players also knocking at the door of national selection – many of whom will have a chance to impress for the Governor-General's XI in Drummoyne on Sunday – Lanning said it was a good sign for the strength of the sport in Australia.

"It's always nice to have a similar squad ... we've had some really good performances in the WNCL (domestic competition) over the first few rounds,” she said.

"It's nice to have batters and bowlers who are consistently performing well at state and international level. I'm really happy with the squad.

"There's no doubt there're a few unlucky players as well, Osborne and Cheatle missed out but have been performing really well as well. 

"The players in the squad know they need to be performing to keep their spots, but that's really healthy for Australian cricket."

The first three ODIs will also count towards the ICC Women's Championship.

Australia have already taken an unassailable lead in the inaugural competition and will be presented the Championship Trophy following the third ODI at North Sydney Oval on November 23, while South Africa need to win all three matches and rely on other results to finish in the top four and gain automatic World Cup qualification.

Entry to all five day-night matches is FREE, with all the action to be streamed live on cricket.com.au and on the Cricket Australia Live app.

Australia v South Africa ODIs

18 November: Manuka Oval, Canberra*

20 November: Manuka Oval, Canberra*

23 November: North Sydney Oval, Sydney*

27 November: Coffs Harbour International Stadium, Coffs Harbour

29 November: Coffs Harbour International Stadium, Coffs Harbour

* ICC Women's Championship matches