Versatile Mooney eases Aussie batting quandary

Beth Mooney could again fill the self-described role of "fixer-upper" for Australia in the upcoming Ashes one-day internationals, as the tourists ponder their best opening combination for Wednesday's game in Bristol.

Mooney opened the batting alongside rookie Phoebe Litchfield in January's ODIs against Pakistan, but the Australians were without regular opener Alyssa Healy for that series as she recovered from a calf injury.

Those one-dayers in Brisbane and Sydney were Australia's first since the retirement of former opener Rachael Haynes.

Mooney always appeared the heir apparent for her fellow left-hander at the top of the order, but the 29-year-old has played a successful role in Australia's middle-order in recent years (batting between three and five in 21 ODI innings since September 2019, she has piled on 745 runs at 62.08) and could return there, leaving 20-year-old Litchfield to continue the opening role in which she debuted in January.

Conversely, Mooney could remain at the top, where she averages 47.89, and Litchfield – or even Heather Graham or Grace Harris – could come in to bolster the middle order.

Litchfield enjoyed a dream introduction to ODI cricket in her first two games against Pakistan, posting scores of 78no and 67no at Allan Border Field.

"I've always said I'm happy to bat wherever," Mooney told cricket.com.au following the third T20I. "I think I'm a bit of the fixer-upper in this team.

"I fill the gaps in the field when bowlers are bowling and I play a lot of different roles with the bat, so whatever suits the team is where I'm happy to go.

"We'll have some discussions over the next couple of days about that and what our best XI in that format is too.

"We've got some quality players in that squad of 15, we've had Heather Graham sitting on the sidelines who I rate very highly, and Alana King didn't play in the T20 series so we certainly have the depth in our squad to really nail those three ODIs."

The upcoming sold-out matches in Bristol, Southampton and Taunton will be Australia's first full one-day series without regular captain Meg Lanning since the 2017 home Ashes, when the right-hander was recovering from shoulder surgery.

Lanning was forced out of this current tour due to medical reasons, with Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath likely to shuffle up the order to help fill the hole left by the absence of Australia's No.3.

Speaking to reporters following Saturday's defeat at Lord's, coach Shelley Nitschke said Australia would consider personnel changes for the ODIs after fielding an unchanged XI across the three T20Is.

Options to come into the side alongside Litchfield and allrounder Graham include quick Kim Garth and leg-spinner Alana King.

"We've got 14 players with us at the moment so we'll have a look at what our best line-up is for the ODI format," Nitschke said. "But we'll just take a little bit of time to assess that and talk about the conditions down in Bristol as well."

England named their 15-player one-day squad on Monday, with Test double centurion Tammy Beaumont returning to the fray after missing out on the hosts' 16-player group for the T20I leg.

Fast bowler Lauren Filer has also returned after making her Test debut in Nottingham last month and is a chance to receive her first ODI cap in Bristol, while Maia Bouchier, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Freya Davies were omitted from the T20 squad.

Both teams return to training in Bristol on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's day-night game.

 

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-4

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: Australia won by four wickets

Second T20I: England won by three runs

Third T20I: England won by five wickets (DLS)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England T20 squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Issy Wong, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Wyatt