Wilson seizes chance to impress as Australia A claim close win

Tahlia Wilson has shone in Australia A’s series opener against India A after finding herself in unfamiliar territory for the multi-format tour in Queensland.

Wilson hit a rapid 50 from 34 balls to set the tone in the first T20I at Allan Border Field, laying the foundation for what was ultimately a five-run win.

The 24-year-old Thunder and NSW 'keeper-batter was in her usual position at the top of the order for the first of three 20-over games and impressed as she stuck seven boundaries during a 74-run opening stand with Katie Mack (39 off 31).

Their strong start, combined with a fast finish from Nicole Faltum (25no from 16) and Maddy Darke (23no from 16), helped Australia post 5-163 despite a middle-order collapse of 4-25 that included losing captain Tahlia McGrath for a golden duck.

The presence of Wilson, Faltum and Darke – three of Australia’s best young keeper-batters - in the same XI is the reason that when the time came to defend their total, Wilson found herself in the unusual position of standing in the field, sans gloves.

Faltum has been earmarked as ‘keeper for the six white-ball games and Darke is set to take the gloves in the four-day red-ball game.

Wilson admitted she would relish the chance to keep wicket in this series if it did present itself.

But with the trio of Wilson, Darke and Faltum all vying to be the eventual successor Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, she can also see the value in proving she is good enough for higher honours as a batter alone – and that she has the skills in the field to back it up.

She only has to look to the example of Mooney, who followed the same path to an international debut in 2016 with Healy cemented behind the stumps.

"I think Moons is a really big one who's shown that even though you're a keeper, if you can smash it in the runs department and you can field well, that you can go anywhere," Wilson said on Wednesday.

"In the Australian set-up at the moment, she'd be one of their top fielders, which is pretty cool.

"She's someone to definitely model off.

"I definitely still want to push my keeping case, but if I could get in there as a bat to start and then maybe keep later, or even if it's just as a bat for a while, any chance to try and play in the Australian side, I'll definitely take it."

For now, Wilson’s focus is on the three-game T20 series at Allan Border Field, where the hosts hold a 1-0 lead following Wednesday’s nervy win.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Day had put early pressure on the tourists in their chase when she bowled opener Shweta Sehrawat for 10, before Maitlan Brown had first drop Uma Chetry caught on seven.

But a valiant 59-ball 79 from Priya Punia, which included two sixes in the space of three balls off Charli Knott, kept India A in the chase.

Needing 16 runs off Tahlia McGrath in the final over, they managed just 10.

With two 20-over games remaining, Wilson said she hoped to continue her attacking form at the top of the order.

"It was nice for me to be able to play my game, score freely and with the batting order we've got, we bat to 11, and even the girls who didn't play bat well," she said.

"If I can go out there and be attacking and get us off to a good start, then our score that we're going to put on is going to be pretty big."

Women’s Australia A v India A Series

First T20: Australia won by five runs

Second T20: August 9, Allan Border Field, 1pm

Third T20: August 11, Allan Border Field, 1pm

Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Nicola Hancock, Charli Knott (vc), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

First ODI: August 14, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 9.30am

Second ODI: August 16, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 1.20pm (D/N)

Third ODI: August 18, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 1.20pm (D/N)

Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Nicola Hancock, Charli Knott (vc), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tahlia Wilson

Four-day match: August 22-25, Gold Coast District Cricket Club, 9.30am

Australia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Maddy Darke (wk), Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Nicole Faltum (vc), Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott (c), Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Grace Parsons, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Georgia Voll

India A squad: Minnu Mani (c), Shweta Sehrawat (vc), Priya Punia, Shubha Satheesh, Tejal Hasabnis, Kiran Navgire, Sajana Sajeevan, Uma Chetry (wk), Shipra Giri (wk), Raghavi Bisht, Saika Ishaque, Mannat Kashyap, Tanuja Kanwar, Priya Mishra, Meghna Singh, Sayali Satghare, Shabnam Shakeel (subject to fitness), S Yashasri. Standby: Saima Thakor