Aussies pile on runs after being sent in by brave Dutch

Ashleigh Gardner has returned from an ankle injury for Australia's T20 World Cup showdown with the Netherlands in Southampton, while quick Lucy Hamilton is making a tournament debut.

Gardner missed the previous match against Bangladesh after spraining her ankle, but has made a quick recovery with Australia to bat first at the Rose Bowl after Netherlands captain Babette de Leede won the toss.

Australia XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Nicola Carey, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux (c), Kim Garth, Alana King, Lucy Hamilton

 

Netherlands XI: Heather Siegers, Phebe Molkenboer, Babette de Leede (c) (wk), Sterre Kalis, Robine Rijke, Frederique Overdijk, Iris Zwilling, Myrthe van den Raad, Caroline de Lange, Silver Siegers, Isabel van der Woning

Left-arm quick Hamilton has come into the XI for the first time this tournament, while Grace Harris and Megan Schutt have made way.

Hamilton, 20, has played one T20I previously having made her debut in the West Indies in March.

Phoebe Litchfield remains sidelined by an acute quad injury, with the top-order batter not expected to be available until Australia's blockbuster showdown against India at Lord's on June 28.

The Netherlands have named an unchanged XI, with skipper de Leede playing her 100th T20I.

"I think the conditions will suit our pacers, our seamers, so hopefully we get something out of the wicket early," de Leede said.

Australia are looking to continue their dominant start to the tournament, having already defeated South Africa by 65 runs and Bangladesh by nine wickets.

This is the first time Australia and the Netherlands have met in a T20I, and their first game in any format since the 2000 ODI World Cup.

The Dutch team have qualified for the tournament for the first time with this edition expanded to include 12 teams.

They will pose a largely unfamiliar prospect for Australia, although star batter Sterre Kalis has played alongside Ellyse Perry at Birmingham in The Hundred.

"We've been fortunate to watch them play a couple of games in this World Cup ... (there's) a couple of familiar faces in there, I've played with Kallis a little bit at Birmingham Phoenix, so I know her quite well, but they are definitely a bit of an unknown quantity for us as well," Perry said on Friday.

"(It's) a really good chance and challenge for us to make sure that we're still playing the style of cricket that we wanted to be successful.

"You've got to work exceptionally hard to scout well against teams that you haven't played a lot against and the Netherlands are one of them for us."

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson

Australia's Group 1 fixtures

June 13: beat South Africa by 65 runs

June 17: beat Bangladesh by nine wickets

June 20: v Netherlands, Rose Bowl, Hampshire, 7:30pm AEST

June 24: v Pakistan, Headingley, Leeds, 3:30am AEST

June 28: v India, Lord's, London, 11:30pm AEST

Semi-final 1: The Oval, London, June 30, 11:30pm AEST

Semi-final 2: The Oval, London, July 2 (3:30am July 3 AEST)

Final: Lord's, London, July 5, 11:30pm AEST

Click here for the full tournament schedule

All matches will be broadcast on Amazon's Prime Video