Wareham hoping for happy homecoming

Australia leg-spinner Georgia Wareham is relishing the prospect of plying her trade in front of her home crowd in Sunday’s third and final one-dayer against New Zealand at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.

The hosts have already secured the Commonwealth Bank ODI Series after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in Adelaide. But for teenager Wareham, Sunday’s match presents the first chance to wear the green and gold in front of family and friends since making her international debut last September.

She’s one of three Victorians who’ll line-up in the ground’s first international game since it’s redevelopment was completed last year, alongside captain Meg Lanning and batter Elyse Villani.

“It’s pretty special, I’m going to have a few family around,” Wareham said as the Australian squad touched down in Melbourne on Monday afternoon.

“With a Melbourne crowd, my first international game at Junction will be very cool.

“Anytime I get to pull on the green and gold is special, but doing it at home is a bonus.”

Wareham, 19, has enjoyed a rapid rise to the highest level. Hailing from Mortlake in the western part of the state, the talented athlete debuted for Victoria in late 2017.

Less than a year later, after impressive performances at domestic level in the WNCL and Rebel WBBL, she earned a maiden international call-up for the opening T20 against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval last September.

Since then, she’s pocketed a T20 World Cup winners’ medal and helped her team clean sweep a T20I series against New Zealand before sweeping Pakistan in both limited-overs formats in Malaysia in October.

And with Australia 2-0 up in the one-dayers against the White Ferns, Wareham says a final victory on Sunday would be the icing on the cake of a dream first summer of international cricket.

“It would be massive, New Zealand are a great side and they’re really challenging us, so (a clean sweep) would be a great way to finish out the summer of cricket in Australia,” she said.

The Australians will enjoy a day off on Tuesday before ramping up their preparations for the final international game of the summer, which include taking on a Victoria XI in a practice match on Thursday.

The third and final one-dayer will get underway at Melbourne’s Junction Oval at 10.50am local on Sunday.

The match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and the Seven Network and can be live streamed via Kayo, with news, scores and highlights on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App.

CommBank ODIs v NZ 

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand squad: Amy Satterthwaite (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Hayley Jensen, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Katie Perkins, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

February 22: Australia won by five runs

February 24: Australia won by 95 runs

March 3: Third ODI, Junction Oval, Melbourne