Richardson ties knot, targets World Cup

It's been a big week for Australian bowler Kane Richardson: a national contract that puts him firmly in Australia's World Cup plans, and a wedding to his sweetheart.

Richardson was one of several bowlers who specialise in the limited-overs formats named on Cricket Australia's national contract list last Wednesday.

And yesterday he wed partner Nyki Kitching in the Adelaide Hills in a stylish affair in keeping with the couple's vegan philosophies.

Richardson, 27, is the latest Australia star to tie the knot in what is Australian cricket's wedding season, following the weddings of Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja to their respective partners recently.

For Richardson, who opted out of this year's IPL event in part for his wedding and Byron Bay honeymoon, it comes at the end of a long summer that saw him feature in five matches of Australia's trans-Tasman T20 tri-series with New Zealand and England, taking eight wickets at 19.75.

He also played three ODIs in India, taking seven wickets at 22.57 on the batsman-friendly surfaces, but fell behind state teammates in South Australia's pecking order for Sheffield Shield cricket.

"(A national contract) was unexpected especially with the strength in the bowling stocks," Richardson told News Corp. "I didn't think I would be around the mark.

"Adam Zampa was probably unlucky to miss and guys like Chadd Sayers who could feel a bit stiff.

"There is a lot of white-ball cricket ahead. A contract doesn't guarantee anything but is a good sign in the next 12 months with the World Cup coming up."

Zampa, one of Richardson's closest friends was a guest at the wedding, attended by a number of past and present Redbacks teammates including Shaun Tait and Jake Lehmann.The ommission of Zampa from the national contract list was controversial, a clear indication the leg-spinner had fallen behind Ashton Agar in Australian selectors' white-ball plans.

Richardson was joined on the contract list by Alex Carey, a South Australia teammate and wicketkeeper, who now looks to be the country's first-choice white-ball gloveman, as well as fellow seamers Jhye Richardson and AJ Tye.

Allrounder Marcus Stoinis, another who is central to Australia's limited-overs planning, also made the list while regular Test back-up seamers Jackson Bird and Sayers did not.

"Me and AJ Tye are suited to the limited-overs formats as we have variation and can execute in the end," Richardson said.

The 27-year-old who made the switch from the Adelaide Strikers to the Melbourne Renegades for BBL|07 has previously accepted his position behind the likes of Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins in Australia's fast bowling pecking-order.

But with that pair battling injuries – swelling in the spine for Cummins (which has a shorter recovery time than a full-blown stress fracture) and tibial bone stress for Starc – Richardson could expect to play a leading role in Australia's coming World Cup dress rehearsal in England.

The Aussies will play five ODIs and a single T20 in England, at World Cup venues, although a squad, and captain, is yet to be named for the tour.