Toil pays off as King seizes her shot

Disappointed with her returns during the multi-format Ashes, Alana King spent a month at home in Perth during the lead-up to this ODI series against West Indies tweaking her craft.

Those adjustments paid of richly – albeit, in what turned out to be futile cause – when she was recalled to Australia's one-day XI on Thursday, as the leg-spinner bagged 3-16 in five overs in what was ultimately a washout.

Having missed out on selection for Sunday's first ODI in Brisbane, a series-ending hamstring injury to fast bowler Darcie Brown opened the door for King's return.

The 27-year-old was picked ahead of left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen and pace-bowling allrounder Heather Graham for the second game of the series at Melbourne's Junction Oval.

Coming on as first change in the seventh over, having waited several hours for Melbourne's weather to clear up long enough for the match to start, King took just six balls to strike, bowling Windies veteran Stafanie Taylor for two.

She trapped Shemaine Campbelle plumb lbw for six with her next over, then secured a third in the same fashion when she trapped Zaida James on the pad with her fifth over.

It was a pleasing comeback for King, who was also left out of Australia's T20 squad that played West Indies earlier this month and instead remained at home in Perth to play a pair of domestic one-day matches for Western Australia.

"I was just stoked they were coming out really nicely and have been for a few weeks now," King said.

"I can't control selections or anything, I can just control how I go about my things and I've worked really hard on my bowling and on all aspects of my game and I'm just stoked to be in the side and play my role and take some really good wickets.

"It was great to get a few wickets but just a shame the match got abandoned."

King went wicketless in the one-off Test in Nottingham during the multi-format Ashes, then was overlooked for the three T20Is and first Ashes ODI in Bristol.

But she returned for the final two one-dayers, taking four wickets at 26.5 and bowling at an economy rate of 5.57.

Following the Ashes tour King joined Trent Rockets in the Hundred, where she picked up five wickets at 32 and bowled with an economy rate of 7.28 across seven matches, before returning home for a truncated preseason with Western Australia.

"I was just focusing on myself and it was a nice time to be in Perth, I spent about four or five weeks in Perth working on my craft after the Hundred," King said.

"I'm just making sure that I own my length.

"I think maybe in the Ashes we drifted too full, so it's just making sure that I bring back that length and challenge both sides of the stumps to make sure all modes of dismissal are in play."

Australia lead the one-day series 1-0 and will hope to secure a series victory when they meet the West Indies in the third and final ODI at Junction Oval on Saturday.

CommBank ODIs v West Indies 2023

First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

Second ODI: Washed out

Third ODI: October 14, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

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

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams