Aussie stars to face off in Melbourne double-header

The biggest names in Australian cricket will go head-to-head at Junction Oval twice this week in two of the most anticipated domestic 50-over matches in recent memory.

Eleven out of the 16 players who were part of Australia’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign last year could take the field when Victoria host New South Wales on Wednesday and Friday, with star allrounder Ellyse Perry to take on the Breakers for the first time since switching states in 2019.

Breakers coach Dom Thornely has dubbed the showdown "one of the best games of cricket, on paper, that you could put on around the world", given the wealth of international talent on display.

Cricket Victoria have decided to not allow crowds to attend the games due to COVID19 restrictions, however both matches will be streamed live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app.

"You could argue this is one of the best women’s cricket games that’s going to be happening around the world, when you look at the talent on the park competing against each other," Thornely told cricket.com.au.

"We’re really excited to get to Junction and play what is, on paper, one of the best teams in the world and test our group against that group.

"I’m really pleased CA have been able to put on NSW v Victoria, full strength teams, against each other twice."

Perry moved to Victoria ahead of the 2019-20 Women’s National Cricket League season but did not play against NSW because Australia were on an international tour of the West Indies at the time.

It means she will take on childhood friend and Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy for the first time, with the pair having previously found themselves on the same team either for their country, state or at the Sydney Sixers.

"It’s funny but I haven’t put too much thought into playing (against Perry)," Healy told reporters on Tuesday.

"We haven’t played a lot of cricket against one another, we’ve been in a lot of similar teams throughout our career but I’m excited for the opportunity, it doesn’t make me nervous at all, it makes me excited.

"They’ve got a world-class line-up, a really fantastic bowling attack, a really deep batting line-up so for us as a team it’s really exciting for us to challenge ourselves against the best."

It is just one of myriad storylines adding intrigue to the star-studded matches.

Quick Tayla Vlaeminck – considered the country’s fastest female bowler – has returned from a year-long stint on the sidelines due to a foot injury and will feature in the Victoria XI on Wednesday.

Fellow Victorian Georgia Wareham is due to return from the stress-related shin injury that ruled her out midway through the Rebel WBBL, while Irish quick Kim Garth could debut for Victoria after moving to Australia last year.

In all, Victoria could boast nine players with international experience in their XI: Australia captain Meg Lanning, Perry, Vlaeminck, Wareham, Garth, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Elyse Villani and Molly Strano.

For the Breakers, Healy will be joined by Australia teammates Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner and Erin Burns, with Burns to make a long-awaited debut for her native NSW after previously playing for Tasmania and the ACT.

Gardner will play her first elite match since her WBBL season ended prematurely due to concussion, while Sammy-Jo Johnson will also debut after moving from Queensland.

Left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle will play her first WNCL game since September 2019 after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction, and will hope to build on the promising return to cricket she made with the Sixers at the back end of the WBBL season.

"I don’t want to put the mozz on (Ash), but she is almost in the form of her life," Healy said.

"She’s in great shape and I’m looking forward to her putting her mark on this competition.

"It’s so exciting (to see Cheatle back); we played a practice game and she ripped through our top-order and took about 5-15, so she’s in red-hot nick."

Hannah Darlington, an 18-year-old pace bowler who took out the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year award last week, will vice-captain her state for the first time – and Healy confirmed the rising star will step into the senior role next month when NSW’s internationals depart for a tour of New Zealand.

Adding to the anticipation has been the multiple delays to the start of the WNCL season due to border closures; the last time players from either team played at the elite level was during the WBBL last November.

Victoria squad: Meg Lanning (c), Lucy Cripps, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Anna Lanning, Sophie Molineux, Ellyse Perry, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

NSW squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Hannah Darlington (vc), Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Lisa Griffith, Rachael Haynes, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Lauren Smith, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson