Two stars set to light up T20 series

Friday's opening T20 international will pit two of the game’s most dynamic and explosive batters against each other in their natural habitat.

England's Sarah Taylor and Australia's Ashleigh Gardner can do things with bat in hand that many dream of but few can explain.

Take Taylor’s unbeaten 93 against a fledgling Governor-General’s XI yesterday.

Her first boundary was a lap shot from outside off to the fine leg rope. Next was a loose-wristed reverse sweep that hit a full toss past short third man to the boundary. In the ninth over another furious reverse sweep brought four more, but that was in between conventional cover drives, slogs to cower corner and flicks behind the wicket.

Exhilarating to watch, almost impossible to captain against, and a player you want on your side.

"She played lovely last night," said England captain Heather Knight.

"It was really nice to see her in the runs being her usual innovative self.

"One shot she hit over backward point reverse sweeping, which is a new one from her.

"So, I'm really excited for Sarah; she has been brilliant for us in T20 and it suits her personality.

"She is very bubbly, keen to entertain and keen to express herself and see what she can do."

Taylor is 28, a veteran, and despite her theatrics is something of a known quality.

Gardner is eight years Taylor's junior and is raw, unpredictable and still working out her own game.

Her 27-run cameo in the opening one-day international of the Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes series turned the match on its head and delivered the hosts a pivotal win.

Speaking after play on that occasion, both sides explained how Gardner hits the ball into unique areas, which is why teammates and opposition alike hang hands on heads after the youngster finds the boundary from impossible angles.

From her second ball in that match at Allan Border Field, Gardner sweetly timed a square drive behind point to collect four and move to eight from two deliveries. When asked about that shot in the wake of the match, she confessed she had no idea how it happened.

Batting in the nets, her Australian comrades are stunned with her strokeplay.

Amanda-Jade Wellington, the country’s premier leg-spinner, feels like she’s a chance every ball she bowls at Gardner. The batter’s feet don’t move, the ball lands exactly where planned, but still somehow the white Kookaburra is sent flying over the picketed fence. Wellington is aghast. Gardner just shrugs and grins.

Gardner batted down the order at No.8 during the ODIs but for the Sydney Sixers in the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League, she slots in at first drop.

Whether we'll see her that high on Friday is yet to be known, but there’s a fluidity to T20 cricket, which suits both Gardner and Taylor down to the ground.

"(Gardner) is a really dangerous player in this format and she's been very successful in WBBL batting up the order," said Australia captain Rachael Haynes on Friday.

"We'll definitely play around with our order, it'll be different to our one-day and obviously our Test order as well.

"There's definitely some players in our group who are quite explosive and who can really take the game away from the opposition with the new ball and with only two players out (of the 30-yard fielding restriction circle), I think you'll see a slightly different hand from us."

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes

Australia lead England 4-2

Australia T20 squad: Sarah Aley, Alex Blackwell, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (c), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

England squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Nat Sciver, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danielle Wyatt.

Schedule

First ODI Australia won by two wickets

Second ODI Australia won by 75 runs (DLS method)

Third ODI England won by 20 runs (DLS method)

Day-Night Test Match drawn

First T20 North Sydney Oval, November 17

North Sydney Charity Partner: McGrath Foundation

Second T20 Manuka Oval, November 19

Third T20 Manuka Oval, November 21

Canberra Charity Partner: Lord's Taverners ACT