Shifting gears: Voll enhances ODI record with home turf ton

Georgia Voll's third one-day century in just 15 innings was a fitting reward for the opener's recent focus on better managing how she works through the gears in the 50-over format.

Voll's unbeaten 131 against Bangladesh at Allan Border Field was her second on her home turf at the boutique Brisbane ground, and her third overall since making her ODI debut against India in December 2024.

Given she got her start at international level filling in for an injured Alyssa Healy, and her appearances across her first 14 months of international cricket came on an ad-hoc basis before she took over opening full-time last April, it can be easy to overlook the pace at which she has compiled those three centuries.

Only one woman scored their first three ODI tons in fewer than Voll's 15 innings – former Australia captain Meg Lanning, who achieved it in 14.

Speaking after Australia's nine-wicket win on Sunday, Voll said there had been a great deal of work done behind the scenes to develop how she builds her innings, and working out when she needs to temper her aggressive Powerplay batting with a more measured approach.

"That's been a thing that I've worked on, is going through the gears a little bit more," Voll said. "I think being a power hitter, I wanted to be able to adjust that in the one-day format, but not take away that ability to try and score quickly.

"I think when you get off to a quick start, it's pretty easy to keep trying to want to hit the ball.

"But I probably went through a little bit of ebbs and flows throughout that innings today, and it was nice to get us get us through to the end.

"We knew after the other night that we're playing on the same wicket, and it had probably flattened out, and we noticed that throughout our bowling innings we weren't getting a lot out of the wicket.

"So the key thing was getting in, and if you get in, make it a big score ... it was nice to stay out in the middle for a little bit longer than I did the other day."

The ease with which Voll has stepped into the enormous shoes of Healy has made for a seamless transition for Australia, who now have an opening pair in Voll and Phoebe Litchfield – both aged 23 – who are averaging 62.5 as a partnership after 10 innings, having shared two century and four half-century stands.

Litchfield scored a rapid 70 off 51 of her own on Sunday night, with her creativity and agility at the crease an ideal match for Voll's power.

It's only early days, but already the signs are there that the young pair – who first opened together in the green and gold for an underage Cricket Australia XI in their mid-teens – could  eventually emulate the success of some of Australia's most iconic, and prolific, opening pairs: Healy and Rachael Haynes, and Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley.

"We've grown up playing cricket against and with each other, and to open for our country together, we probably never thought we would do that (when we were) 15 years of age," Voll said.

"Every time we get to walk out there together and open the batting for Australia is pretty special, and I think we complement each other really well."

NRMA Insurance Women's ODI Series v Bangladesh

First ODI: Australia won by seven wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by nine wickets

Third ODI: Wednesday, October 14 (D/N)

* All matches played at Allan Border Field, Brisbane, starting at 1:50pm local

Australia ODI squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham 

Bangladesh ODI squad: Nigar Sultana (c), Nahida Akter, Shorna Akter, Marufa Akter, Rabeya Khan, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Sarmin Sultana, Sharmin Akter, Sanjida Akther, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter, Farzana Haque, Disha Biswas, Murshida Khatun, Habiba Islam

NRMA Insurance Women's T20 Series v New Zealand

First T20I: Sunday, October 18

Second T20I: Tuesday, October 20

Third T20I: Thursday, October 22

* All matches played at North Sydney Oval starting at 7:15pm AEDT

Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham 

New Zealand T20I squad: Melie Kerr (c), Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis (wk), Bella James, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Sharp

All women's international matches will be shown live on Seven, 7Plus, Kayo Sports and Foxtel