Lanning to sit out Vics' WNCL opener, Perry to lead

National captain Meg Lanning will miss Victoria's opening two Women's National Cricket League matches this week, with Ellyse Perry to step in as skipper for back-to-back matches against NSW Breakers in Melbourne.

Lanning has elected to sit out the two 50-over games, Cricket Victoria confirmed on Monday, meaning Victoria will be without three internationals for the start of the domestic 50-over season, with spinners Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham sidelined through injury.

Victoria coach Jarrad Loughman, who has replaced Lachie Stevens in the role this season, said Lanning's decision to take an extended break following the Weber WBBL had been made with a view to Australia's upcoming Ashes and ODI World Cup campaigns in the first few months of next year.

She is expected to return for Victoria's two matches against ACT Meteors in Canberra in early January, which will serve as useful preparation for the one-off Ashes Test at Manuka Oval beginning January 27.

"Meg Lanning is going to have a rest, which we fully support," Loughman told cricket.com.au.

"She's going really well (but) she's just come off the back of a massive international series with quarantine and a big WBBL.

"The second half of this season for her, as captain and leader of your nation, it's a massive second half of the year with the Ashes and the World Cup.

"Meg actually took it upon herself to (do something) she's never done before - she's always been available - to have a bit of a spell.

"And we think it's in her best interest and in Victoria and Australia's best interests down the track."

The Australia players endured a demanding start to the 2021-22 summer, playing India in three ODIs, a Test and three T20Is, before immediately hitting the road for WBBL|07.

Those hailing from Sydney and Melbourne – including Lanning – left home to enter a fortnight of hard hotel quarantine in Queensland in late August, not returning home until the end of November.

Lanning produced a WBBL campaign that was below her usual lofty standards, passing fifty twice and averaging 25 for Melbourne Stars, but ended the season on a promising note with a 39-ball 50 against Adelaide Strikers.

Her absence means Perry will captain against her old state in her third season as a Victorian player.

"Ellyse being Ellyse, she felt felt humbled to be asked, but we thought she was a logical choice," Loughman said.

"She's sunk her teeth into that since we spoke to her about it, and she's really looking forward to leading the side and her adopted state."

Image Id: B8841F5FEEE34FC9B83B26A416E17513 Image Caption: Perry will lead her adopted state against NSW this weekend // Getty

Victoria will also be without left-arm spinner Molineux, who suffered a stress fracture in her right foot late in the WBBL season and will miss the Ashes, and leg-spinner Wareham, who is facing more than a year on the sidelines after rupturing her ACL playing for the Renegades.

They are expected to confirm their squad in the coming days.

Loughman was tight-lipped when asked about the make-up of his top-order, with three spots to fill following the departure of opener Elyse Villani to Tasmania, the injury to fellow opener Molineux, and No.3 Lanning's absence.

One option is Australia allrounder Annabel Sutherland, who spent time at the top of the order for the Stars during WBBL|07, while Makinley Blows has also filled the role in the past.

The loss of Molineux and Wareham is a blow to Victoria's spin ranks, as is the departure of Molly Strano to Tasmania, but they still boast strong options in left-armers Sam Bates and Sophie Day, and teenage off-spinner Ella Hayward.

Their pace attack will feature internationals Perry, Sutherland and Tayla Vlaeminck, alongside Irish quick Kim Garth and young allrounder Tess Flintoff.

The Vics will have their Australia squad players available for the first half of the season before they depart on international duties in February.

Contract list: Tiana Atkinson, Samantha Bates, Makinley Blows, Lucy Cripps, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Ella Hayward, Anna Lanning, Meg Lanning*, Rhys McKenna, Sophie Molineux*, Rhiann O'Donnell, Ellyse Perry*, Lara Shannon, Annabel Sutherland*, Amy Vine, Tayla Vlaeminck*, Georgia Wareham*

Out: Molly Strano (TAS), Elyse Villani (TAS), Courtney Neale (WA), Bhavi Devchand, Elly Donald, Zoe Griffiths

Last year's result: Runners-up

Fixtures

December 17 v New South Wales, Junction Oval

December 19 v New South Wales, Junction Oval

January 9 v ACT Meteors, Manuka Oval

January 11 v ACT Meteors, Manuka Oval

February 14 v Western Australia, WACA Ground

February 16 v Queensland, Lilac Hill, Perth

February 22 v South Australia, Karen Rolton Oval

February 27 v Tasmania, Shepley Oval, Dandenong

The inside word with head coach Jarrad Loughman

Players to watch

"Looking at the WBBL from a Stars point of view, Annabel Sutherland was terrific, particularly with the ball (and) she got some really good opportunities up the order with a bat.

"I think she's an exciting talent in all facets, a hard worker who prepares really well and she's really keen to get into the WNCL.

"Tess Flintoff is another exciting prospect, at the moment it's largely been with the ball, but we definitely think she's got some skill and ability with the bat and she's a gun fielder.

"We've got Nic Faltum as well who had a really good tournament in the WBBL with the gloves."

The pre-season

"We thought pre-season was really good. It can be a bit of a drainer at times, especially in Melbourne winter, and you do get a bit of fluoro (fluorescent lighting) poisoning in the indoor centre.

"But we mixed things around and did our best in terms of being creative and trying to make it as engaging and productive as we could for the girls.

"It was a unique winter where we had all our Cricket Australia contracted players around … having the whole squad was terrific because we've got about six or seven teenagers, and I think they learned plenty from having the Australian players around."

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval

Feb 4: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 6: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 10: Third T20, Adelaide Oval

Feb 13: First ODI, Adelaide Oval

Feb 16: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 19: Third ODI, Junction Oval