Brown's northern winter sets up ODI World Cup tilt

After a full preseason spent outdoors in the Queensland winter sun, Darcie Brown believes she is primed to tackle her second ODI World Cup.

Australia's lengthy break between international tours – their last series was against New Zealand in March – saw most of the country's contracted female players bank valuable time at home, while others packed their bags and headed to England’s new county cricket competitions.

South Australia quick Brown, meanwhile, took the opportunity to base herself on the Gold Coast through the winter, with the chance to train outdoors and work closely with Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke and pace mentor Scott Prestwidge too good to pass up.

"I was fortunate enough to be able to go up to the Gold Coast with my partner and stay with his family," Brown explained to cricket.com.au.

"It was a double win, because I got to be with him and his family and I got to train up on turf for the whole preseason, so I think it's set me up really well.

"(I was up there) for three or four months, working with Shell and Presto, and Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney as well, which has been a cool change. I obviously missed everyone at SACA as well, but it was good fun to change it up.

"I worked on getting a really good, solid block of preseason under my belt … this might be our last preseason for a little bit so it was super important to make sure we're all fit and strong.

"I was able to work with Presto on a few little technical things as well and hopefully that'll put me in good stead for the season ahead and many more considering we're quite busy during our normal off period for the next four years."

After a prolonged period spent deep into the nitty gritty of small technical adjustments, Brown will put that work to the test in Brisbane this week as she takes the field for Australia A against India A.

Brown is one of five CA-contracted players alongside captain Alyssa Healy, vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, Kim Garth and Tess Flintoff who will feature in the three 'A' one-day games at Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, with the games to provide valuable game time ahead of the ODI World Cup in India in October.  

"It's been a long time coming, it has felt like a long preseason," Brown said.

"I'm just ready to get it out there and maybe not work on as many technical things and just go out there and just bowl and compete.

"You can only train in the nets for so long and do centre wickets and that sort of stuff ... playing in an actual game, it's really hard to replicate at training.

"We've done a really good job at trying to do that this preseason, but I think the girls are all itching to get out there and compete."

Brown was in her first year as an international cricketer when Australia won the 2022 ODI World Cup in Christchurch, taking six wickets across her six matches.

The conditions in India will be vastly different to those in New Zealand, with Australia to play in in Indore, Colombo and Visakhapatnam throughout the round stage, but Brown is hopeful of making an impact as a now-established member of the national set-up.

"I think my knowledge around cricket has grown enormously (since 2022), I probably didn't really think about anything (too deeply) necessarily in that World Cup and I think it probably showed with how I went at times," Brown said.

"I've just got a lot more knowledge, a lot more maturity around my game and everyone else's.

"I've learned how to pick up on a few technical things in general when analysing batters and working on fields, and being confident in in my knowledge around that too.

"So it'll be a really cool challenge (in India) if I get the opportunity.

"The little stint in Sri Lanka will be pretty cool (too) ... I personally haven't been there, and have heard it's awesome, and I've only been to Mumbai, really, in India.

"Just being able to play at different grounds and getting to experience the culture in different areas of India, I'm really excited for, to hopefully being able to have a look around as well and see different fans out there."

Australia A v India A multi-format series

First T20: Australia A won by 13 runs

 

Second T20: Australia A won by 114 runs

 

Third T20: Australia A won by four runs

Australia A 50-Over squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Darcie Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Alyssa Healy, Anika Learoyd, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

India A 50-over squad:Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (WK), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat, Yastika Bhatia

First one-dayer: August 13, Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, Brisbane, 9.30am AEST

 

Second one-dayer: August 15, Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, Brisbane, 9.30am AEST

 

Third one-dayer: August 17, Northern Suburbs Cricket Club, Brisbane, 9.30am AEST

Australia A four-day squad: Tahlia Wilson (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Maitlan Brown, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb

India A four-day squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat

Only four-day match: August 21-24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 9:30am AEST

All matches will be live on cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports.