Harris elevated to Ashes squad after Mooney's jaw surgery

Grace Harris has been added to Australia's Ashes squad ahead of tonight's opening T20I at Adelaide Oval as cover for the injured Beth Mooney.

Harris, who crunched an unbeaten 55 from 37 balls opening the batting for Australia A in a warm-up T20 on Tuesday, is a chance to play her first match for Australia since late 2016 after Mooney fractured her jaw in a freak training accident on Monday.

If selected in the playing XI for Thursday night's game, the powerful right-hander could fill Mooney's spot at the top of the order, or come into the middle if Australia instead looked to promote an existing squad member.

Harris edged out fellow Queenslander Georgia Redmayne – who presented the most like-for-like alternative to Mooney – and experienced international Elyse Villani, who also starred in Tuesday's warm-up games to be added to the senior group for the T20I componment of the multi-format series.

While the two Australian squads are in separate, strict bubbles it is possible for Harris to 'bridge' into the senior side, with extra bio-security protocols in place given the threat of COVID-19.

She did not train with the side on Wednesday afternoon, with just a handful of Australia players including captain Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes hitting the Adelaide Oval nets. 

Speaking to media on Wednesday, Lanning said the final XI would be settled upon on that evening and would not be revealed until the coin toss, as she refused to be drawn on who would take Mooney's place alongside Healy, or whether Perry would play after her late arrival into Adelaide following a COVID-19 scare.

Perry arrived in Adelaide on Tuesday having missed the warm-up match. The star allrounder, whose place in the T20 side has been called into question, had returned a weak positive result prior to leaving Melbourne, but it was found to be shedding from an asymptomatic infection Perry was unaware of 2-3 weeks ago.

"We've got a lot of options ... we're just weighing up all our options at the moment … for a long time, we've spoken about the depth that we feel like we have within our squad and our bowling got tested a lot in the Indian series (last year) and this presents a test for our batting depth.

"It'll create an opportunity for someone and I'm looking forward to seeing what pans out from it."

The last of Harris' 20 matches in the green and gold was an ODI against South Africa in Coffs Harbour in 2016.

After years where her explosiveness was often tempered by inconsistency, she has been actively working to address that balance and find a way to blend her power game with cricket smarts – an evolution that was on display during WBBL|07.

She did not open the batting during those limited internationals between 2015-2016, but Harris opened for the Brisbane Heat alongside Redmayne during the most recent Weber WBBL season, scoring 420 runs including four half-centuries at a strike rate of 123.16.

Her dynamic stroke play could also prove handy in the middle-order – with high strike rates something coach Matthew Mott has called out as a desired attribute for those batting between 5-7.

"Whilst the injury to Beth is unfortunate, it does provide an opportunity for someone else to step in to the squad," national selector Shawn Flegler said.

"Grace has a great skill set for the T20 format and has the ability to play multiple roles if required."

If Harris does not open, other options include Rachael Haynes, who opens in ODIs and would allow Australia to maintain their preferred left-hand right-hand opening combination, Tahlia McGrath or even Lanning, who opens for Melbourne Stars and came in at the top of the order for Australia earlier in her career.

Lanning also provided an update on Mooney, who underwent surgery on her jaw on Tuesday and has now returned to the team's Adelaide hotel.

Australia have not given up hope the world's top T20 batter could get feature later in the multi-format Ashes, or in the ODI World Cup that will follow.

"I saw her briefly this morning and she looked as well as you can following surgery," Lanning said.

"From all reports it went really well, which is great news.

"She'll continue to recover from the surgery and then we'll start to plan from there for it looks like for her.

"After a few days we'll see where it's at and potentially when she might be able to come back but there's no rushing that, it's a serious injury."

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (vc), Grace Harris (T20 only), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck

England Ashes squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Jan 20: First T20, Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm AEDT

Jan 22: Second T20, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm AEDT

Jan 23: Third T20, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm AEDT

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval, 10am AEDT, 

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval (D/N), 2.10pm AEDT

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Australia A v England A

Australia A squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns (OD only), Stella Campbell, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Heather Graham, Phoebe Litchfield, Katie Mack (OD only), Courtney Sippel, Molly Strano (OD only), Elyse Villani, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington

England A squad: Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Eve Jones, Beth Langston, Emma Lamb, Bryony Smith, Ellie Threlkeld, Issy Wong

Jan 20: First T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide, 11am AEDT

Jan 21: Second T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide, 3pm AEDT

Jan 23: Third T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide, 10am AEDT

Jan 28: First OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT

Jan 30: Second OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT

Feb 2: Third OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT