Garth favoured over Brown as Schutt gets first crack in 200th

Megan Schutt will not have to wait long to get a crack at South Africa’s openers in her 200th international game, after Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to field in the first one-day international.

But fellow South Australian Darcie Brown has been denied a chance to play in front of her home crowd at Adelaide Oval, left out of Australia’s XI in favour of Kim Garth.

Brown’s omission is one of two changes to the side that lined up in Hobart for the third T20I last Tuesday, with Alana King replacing Grace Harris.

Australia XI: Phoebe Litchfield, Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

 

South Africa XI: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka

It is an unchanged side from the one that sealed an ODI clean sweep against India early last month, with Jess Jonassen and Heather Graham – who stayed in Hobart to play domestic one-dayers for Tasmania – the other players on the sidelines.

Schutt is just the sixth Australian woman to play 200 international matches, joining Healy, Jonassen, Ellyse Perry, Alex Blackwell and Meg Lanning in the ‘200 club’.

"To get to 200 is pretty darn cool, and I think having it at Adelaide Oval is fate in itself and extremely special," Schutt said on Friday.

"I think the most rewarding part is being a bowler and having played that much cricket.

"There's not many players around that have played as much cricket as I have in that sense – I guess not being an express pace bowler helps me but I think doing that as a bowler is probably a special achievement."

South Africa are hunting their first win over Australia in ODIs and will be buoyed by their historic T20I victory in Canberra last Sunday.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt, who has spent the last four seasons with the Adelaide Strikers, said she hoped to use her experience in the local conditions to her advantage.

"Getting to play an ODI at one of my favourite grounds is really special," Wolvaardt said.

"It's really nice having played here a couple of times, just to know the conditions ... I can share my knowledge with my teammates and hopefully that does us well for the game tomorrow."

Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa

First T20: Australia won by eight wickets

Second T20: South Africa won by six wickets

January 30: Australia win by five wickets

Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa

February 3: First ODI, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm

February 7: Second ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

February 10: Third ODI, North Sydney Oval, 2.40pm

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris*, Jess Jonassen, Alana King**, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham *T20s only | **ODIs only

South Africa squad (T20Is & ODIs): Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder (wk), Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker

Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa

February 15-18: Only Test, WACA Ground, Perth 11.00am