Garth ready to put delayed World Cup prep behind her

28 Sep 2024 Laura Jolly, in Dubai

After missing the T20s against New Zealand, Kim Garth hopes to feature in the World Cup warm-ups, but Grace Harris' availability for the start of the tournament remains under a cloud

Kim Garth is hopeful she can pick up where she left off in The Hundred as she nears a return from the knee injury that has interrupted her T20 World Cup preparations.

Garth missed the final game of Manchester Original’s campaign after being diagnosed with a knee complaint and was subsequently ruled out of the three-game T20I series against New Zealand earlier this month as she rehabilitated the joint.

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But the 28-year-old is hopeful of sending down some overs in at least one of Australia’s two warm-up matches in Dubai, against England on Sunday and West Indies on Tuesday.

"I've pretty much ticked all my boxes now that I need to tick off in terms of my rehab program," Garth told cricket.com.au from Dubai.

"Hopefully I'll get out there and bowl a few overs in the warm games.

"I'm hoping to feature in maybe one of those games, and then hopefully from there I'll be fully fit and right to go."

Kim Garth at Australia's first training session in Dubai // cricket.com.au

Garth had been due to play for Australia A in August but was instead a late call-up for The Hundred, drafted in by Manchester Originals to replace Australian teammate Sophie Molineux who withdrew from the tournament after suffering broken ribs in a training mishap.

The allrounder had just produced her best performance of season, taking 2-17 against Northern Superchargers including the wicket of Phoebe Litchfield, when she noticed something was not quote right with her knee.

Once scans confirmed the injury, her time in the United Kingdom came to an abrupt end.

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"In one of the games towards the back end I just felt (the knee) a bit and then got a scan before the last game … with a tight turnaround before the World Cup, I got a call to say that if I wanted to make sure I was right for the World Cup, I should probably come home and start rehabbing straight away.

"I got a scan on the Monday or Tuesday, and I was on the way home by the Thursday.

"But I was lucky that I got to play seven out of eight games over there.

"It was really good prep leading into a World Cup ... I think I'd be a bit more stressed if I hadn't had that game time under my belt and hadn't played since March.

"To have seven games under my belt where I felt like I bowled some tough overs and just got some really good match practice in was really cool.

"Hopefully I can pick up off where I left off and be good to go for a big season."

Grace Harris is recovering from a mild calf strain // cricket.com.au

Garth bowled in the nets during Australia’s first full training session in Dubai on Saturday, their only proper hit out ahead of Sunday evening’s practice game against England.

However, Australia’s other injury concern, allrounder Grace Harris, remains under an injury cloud one week out from their opening game of the tournament against Sri Lanka.

Harris, who suffered a low-grade strain to her right calf in the lead-up to the New Zealand T20Is, has resumed training but will not be available for either of Australia's warm-up matches.

Her availability for the opening game of the tournament will be assessed over the coming days.

It has been a frustrating setback for the Queenslander, who was forced to withdraw from The Hundred after suffering a more severe injury to her left calf.

2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Garth ready to put delayed World Cup prep behind her

2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Warm-up matches

Australia's Group A fixtures

Finals