The Victoria allrounder is the sole inclusion for the Australian group while the visitors have also named their Test squad
Molineux named for long-awaited international return
Sophie Molineux has been named in an Australia squad for the first time since 2021, with the spin-bowling allrounder recalled to the national side for next week’s one-off Test against South Africa at the WACA Ground.
Molineux is the only addition to the 14-player group currently playing the Proteas in the three-game ODI leg of the multi-format series, and is a chance to play her first international game since the third T20I against India in October 2021 if selected in the final XI.
The left-arm spinner is also the only change to the Test squad that played India in Mumbai in December.
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
South Africa Test squad: Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloé Tryon, Delmi Tucker
Lauren Cheatle, who made her Test debut at Wankhede, was ruled out of the Perth Test as well as the Women’s Premier League in India after the desperately unlucky left-arm quick had a skin cancer removed from her neck late last month, while Heather Graham has been omitted.
Molineux was ruled out of the 2022 Ashes and the 2022 ODI World Cup in New Zealand due to a stress fracture in her foot, and subsequently lost her national contract.
The left-arm spinner returned to play in the WBBL in late 2022, only to rupture her ACL midway through the season.
Molineux finally returned to action for Victoria in the domestic one-day competition in December and immediately struck form, hitting 62 and taking a six-wicket haul in her second game back.
She currently sits equal top of the WNCL wickets tally with 17 wickets at 14.47 in six matches, and has hit 167 runs in six innings, and hit a half-century when she captained the Governor-General’s XI to victory over South Africa last month.
"It was a nice call to make, (Sophie’s) been through a lot in the last couple of years," CA head of performance and national selector Shawn Flegler said.
"She was pretty emotional, she’s put a lot of hard work in over the last 12 months but even the previous 12 months as well – she’s missed out on some big tournaments for us.
"She has come back and played really well…has probably surprised herself a little bit with how well she’s gone.
"She’s an all-format player, was an all-format player before she got injured and she’s come back in great nick."
Molineux is one of five spinners included in the 14-player group.
Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner, who starred in both Tests last year, is an automatic selection, while Alana King was preferred over fellow leggie Georgia Wareham for both matches - and as a Western Australian, has the home ground advantage.
Molineux’s best hopes of playing her first Test since 2021 could come if she is picked ahead of fellow left-armer Jess Jonassen, who also played both of Australia’s 2023 Tests.
Meanwhile, Megan Schutt could feature in her first Test since 2019, and is one of three specialist quicks alongside Darcie Brown and Kim Garth.
Brown appears the frontrunner to replace Cheatle in the Australia XI after she was pipped at the post by the left-armer in India in December, and if picked, would form a new-ball pairing with Garth.
"Really tough, devastating (for Cheatle), and the WACA probably would've suited her more than the India Test match, as well," Flegler said.
"Our thoughts are with her, she just needs to concentrate on her health and hopefully she comes back and gets herself right again and gets herself back in contention.
"When she's swinging it and bowling with some pace, she's a threat – there’s not too many left-arm pace bowlers in the world like her. She just needs to focus on getting healthy."
Schutt was named in Australia’s Test squads for both the Ashes and India, but never seemed in serious selection contention for either game – in December, the veteran South Australian only landed in Mumbai the evening before the Test started.
However selectors have opted to include her as the additional pace bowling cover in the 14-player group.
Australia have no shortage of pace options within their group, with allrounders Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath and Annabel Sutherland all locks for the XI.
"It’s a little bit horse for courses," Flegler said.
"The WACA, if it is going to swing and bounce I think Meghan it could suit her. But yeah, we certainly didn’t rule her out of Test selection.
"We didn’t India was going to be suitable for her and I think that proved to be the case, but the WACA is a different proposition."
Meanwhile South Africa named their Test squad overnight – the only change to the current white-ball squad is the departure of quick Ayabonga Khaka, who opted out of the red-ball leg.
Selectors have also named a 26-player cohort that will play a three-day red-ball game at Karen Rolton Oval next month.
The ‘Green v Gold’ game will be played from March 5-7 as part of an expanding Australia A program, bringing together the most promising players from across the country.
Players were selected by the NSP with the support of State and Territory Associations, with the group including Australia contracted players Alana King, Kim Garth, Heather Graham and Darcie Brown, who are not part of the Women’s Premier League in India.
"The three-day ‘Green v Gold’ match at Karen Rolton Oval is a new addition to supplement our Australia A program which aims to help prepare domestic players for all formats of international cricket," Flegler said.
"With several established international players named in the squad, we’re looking forward to seeing a high level of cricket across the three days."
Green Squad: Heather Graham, Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Alana King, Chloe Piparo, Lilly Mills, Kate Peterson, Sophie Reid, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Voll
Gold Squad: Charli Knott, Emma de Broughe, Darcie Brown, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Sianna Ginger, Milly Illingworth, Katie Mack, Grace Parsons, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington
Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa
First T20: Australia won by eight wickets
Second T20: South Africa won by six wickets
Third T20: Australia win by five wickets
Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa
First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets
February 7: South Africa won by 84 runs
February 10: Third ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm
Australia white-ball squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris*, Jess Jonassen, Alana King**, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham *T20s only | **ODIs only
South Africa white-ball squad: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker
Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa
February 15-18: Only Test, WACA Ground, Perth 11.00am
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
South Africa Test squad: Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloé Tryon, Delmi Tucker