Bash & beyond: Australian stars zero in on domestic prep

After Australia's last official T20I before February's Champions Trophy ended in a washout, the country's top players will go their separate ways as attention turns to the upcoming 12th edition of the Weber WBBL.

With no further 20-over internationals scheduled between now and the tournament in India, and just three one-dayers against Sri Lanka in December, the Aussies will be largely relying on franchise leagues and domestic cricket for their preparation through the next three months.

Speaking to reporters following Thursday's rained out match at North Sydney Oval, Molineux said an increasingly busy calendar meant time together as a squad prior to major series or tournament was often limited.

"It's being really deliberate about what we want to do as individuals ... because we don’t have a lot of time together," the skipper said.

"A big part of that is the planning, and our staff go to work all year round, really, to make sure that preparation's in order so that when we do get together as a group, usually it's not long before a big tournament, that we can hit the ground running and not waste any time.

"That will definitely be a big focus in the next three months."

Australia had to settle for a 2-0 series win, after just 2.4 overs were possible in Sydney on Thursday night.

Molineux however said her group would take lessons from the truncated series, having been put under pressure with the bat in particular in both completed matches.

"I think there was plenty of lessons learnt inside the walls of our group," she said. "New Zealand, I thought they bowled really well, especially in that second game, they were able to adjust and bowl a few more slower balls and learnt a lot from that first game and really put us under the pump and tested our depth.

"It was great to see Ash (Gardner) stand up in that second game and even in that first game, we had our No.10 batting for the first time in a while in a T20, so plenty of lessons to take away from that."

The six-team T20 Champions Trophy was originally scheduled for June 2027, and Australia had a tri-series against India and Sri Lanka pencilled in immediately prior as preparation.

The ICC's decision to bring the tournament forward to February, ostensibly to make way for an Olympic qualifying tournament, forced a shake-up of the schedule – and a rejig of Australia's home summer.

Australia are, of course, not the only team plotting how to navigate the changed schedule, given the Women's Premier League will run from January 14 to February 7, with little international cricket to be played in that window.

Australia's top players will have the benefit of a busy franchise schedule between now and February, with Weber WBBL|12 to run from October 29 to December 5.

At least 10 CA contracted players will then feature in the WPL, in the same conditions the Champions Trophy will be played in, and that number could grow once the WPL auction is held on October 28, where a total of seven overseas slots are currently vacant.

Annabel Sutherland, Lucy Hamilton, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Nicola Carey, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield were all retained by their WPL teams, while 11 Australians have registered for the auction, including Molineux.

Those who remain in Australia, meanwhile, will be able to play domestic one-dayers for their states in January.

New Zealand's T20I squad members will feature in their own Super Smash in January, but captain Amelia Kerr, who is the only active White Fern contracted for WBBL|12, lamented that more of her teammates were not featuring in the Big Bash.

"I'd love to see more Kiwis get a shot," said the Sixers star. "Six years ago we had a lot of Kiwis playing in the Big Bash. That would be awesome.

"The likes of Maddy Green, that fifty she got here the other night – in the last year-and-a-half, her cricket's gone to a new level.

"So, you hope that when people start putting their hand up like that in international cricket, having innings like that against Australia, people start looking at them.

"Sometimes it looks a little bit harder when you're a small nation, but definitely would love to have more girls playing in the WBBL."

NRMA Insurance Women's T20 Series v New Zealand

First T20I: Australia won by two wickets

Second T20I: Australia won by 40 runs

Third T20I: No result

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