Kimmince happy to be a hog

Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars allrounder Delissa Kimmince is quickly stamping her authority on the women’s game and she’s doing it in the two most contradictory positions in cricket.

Named at the top of the order for the second Twenty20 International against Pakistan, Kimmince compiled an innings-best knock of 43 off 48 balls to help the Southern Stars reach 5-149 off their 20 overs.

Then, despite seasoned quicks Rene Farrell, Sarah Coyte, Julie Hunter and Megan Schutt being on hand, Kimmince was thrown the new ball by captain Meg Lanning and told to make a dint in the tourists’ line-up – which she did, removing the dangerous Marina Iqbal for 10.

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Known as much for her on-tour pranks as her on-field performances before this series, Kimmince was characteristically wry when asked about her dual roles in the side.

“I like to be a hog,” Kimmince joked. “I’m happy that I went out there and got a few runs.

“I didn’t hit them as cleanly as I would have liked to but to come away with 43, and to help set a good total for the girls, I’m pretty stoked with that.”

After making her international debut as an 18-year-old opening bowler, Kimmince took time away from the game following the 2009-10 season, before returning to the Queensland Fire in 2012-13.

“I think when I played a few years ago, cricket was everything to me,” Kimmince said in the lead-up to this year’s ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

“You learn a lot of things when you leave the game; obviously, living without cricket is the biggest one.

“At the end of the day, it is just a game.”

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It wasn’t just her mindset that underwent a change during her cricket sabbatical however, with the 23-year-old reinventing herself as a free-flowing opening batter.

The switch from leather to willow soon bore fruit, with Kimmince winning player of the final honours in the Fire’s successful 2013-14 domestic Women’s T20 victory and earning herself a place in the squad to Bangladesh for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament.

“She’s certainly been able to extend her game,” Southern Stars coach Cathryn Fitzpatrick said upon Kimmince’s selection.

“She provides something different as a top-order bat; moves around the crease and really asks questions of the bowlers.

“So to have someone in the top order that can bowl a couple of overs if needed, save a couple of runs in the field and offer up something at the top of the order is a big plus for us.”

Kimmince managed to do all that and more in the second T20 against Pakistan, with her 43 runs, 1-15 with the new ball and a great diving catch seeing her named best afield in the big win.

“I like to open the batting in the T20 form of the game,” she said.

“It’s a lot easier to go after the bowlers with just the two out at the start.

“I was actually a bit surprised to open the bowling considering ‘Fez’ (Farrell) and ‘JJ’ (Jess Jonassen) have been doing it.

“But I’m happy to take whatever opportunities I get with both hands.”

Kimmince’s performance is yet another standout display from the Southern Stars’ growing arsenal of highly skilled allrounders, with spinners Jonassen and Erin Osborne also impressing across both disciplines.

In the four one-day matches and two T20s to date, the trio have averaged a combined 33.29 with the bat, 20 wickets at an average of 14.85 with the ball and have won four player-of-the-match awards.

With second-ranked ODI allrounder Ellyse Perry making her return to the green and gold on Sunday following a knee injury, albeit as a specialist batter, the world champions are set to boast unrivalled flexibility leading into next year’s Ashes in England.

But for now, Brisbane native Kimmince, who plays for Gold Coast District Cricket Club – whose home ground will be used for all four upcoming T20Is – is just enjoying the opportunity to show off in front of her home crowd.

“It’s always nice to be able to play in front of family and friends,” she said.

“I play a lot of games where they don’t get to come so to play and perform in front of them, and also at the Gold Coast, which is now my new club cricket ground, is great.”

The third match of the T20 series will be played on Wednesday and Kimmince believes the world number eight are a good enough side to give the world champions a run for their money.

“Their bowling is good,” she said of the Pakistan attack.

“They set good fields and bowl to them; I just think they’re missing a few powerful hitters in their batting order.

“They seem to go across the line when they get ‘dotted up’ which I think is where we’ve been able to capitalise.

“I wouldn’t want to take anything away from the Pakistan girls though, they are quite challenging at times.

“We probably weren’t pushed quite as much we would have liked to have been (in the first two matches) but I think our bowlers and batters have done well to set us a good platform for the next two T20s”

Be sure to catch every ball as the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars take on Pakistan, with ABC Grandstand commentary, LIVE on cricket.com.au