Aussies select 14 for Test and ODIs

The Southern Stars have selected two separate squads of 14 for the Test and the ODI series against England in January. A third squad for the T20 series will be selected in early January.

Meg Lanning is named as the new vice-captain, taking over from Alex Blackwell, in what CA say is "part of a leadership development plan". This would suggest that she is regarded as the future Southern Stars captain.

Jemma Barsby, Alyssa Healey, Julie Hunter and young Gemma Triscari, who all toured England in August, have all been omitted from the squads, with Rene Farrell returning after two years out of international cricket and Nicole Bolton, who has been in fine form for Western Australia, joining the fray.

24 year old Bolton has been selected on the basis of her form with both bat and ball over the past two seasons in the WNCL and WT20 competitions. She is also currently perfoming well for Otago in the NZ Women's Cricket League.

Farrell is an interesting selection. At 26 years old the right arm opening bowler already has 48 international appearances for Australia under her belt, but the last of those was two years ago when she took a hat-trick against England to help win the Ashes' Test. Worn out by the travelling she decided to take a year out from the game and then joined the ACT Meteors team last season. But she only managed two rounds of games after tripping over her dog and falling down stairs and breaking her toe. This season she has come out all guns blazing, particularly in the WT20. She has 10 wickets (including a five-for against NSW) and 200 runs at an average of 25.It will be interesting to see if she is selected ahead of Schutt, Coyte and Ferling to partner Ellyse Perry with the new ball.

Elyse Villani, who toured with the Aussies this summer, but did not get many opportunities to bat, has been in great form for Victoria and may muscle her way into the Aussie top order, probably at the expense of Rachael Haynes, who struggled in England last year and has not really found any form back in Australian domestic cricket.

The squads are
Test Match Squad - Jodie Fields (C), QLD; Meg Lanning (VC), VIC; Alex Blackwell, NSW; Nicole Bolton, WA; Jess Cameron, VIC; Sarah Coyte, NSW; Sarah Elliott, VIC; Rene Farrell, ACT; Holly Ferling, QLD; Rachael Haynes, NSW; Erin Osborne, NSW; Ellyse Perry, NSW; Megan Schutt, SA; Elyse Villani, VIC

ODI Squad - Jodie Fields (C), QLD; Meg Lanning (VC), VIC; Alex Blackwell, NSW; Nicole Bolton, WA; Jess Cameron, VIC; Sarah Coyte, NSW; Rene Farrell, ACT; Holly Ferling, QLD; Rachael Haynes, NSW; Jess Jonassen, QLD; Erin Osborne, NSW; Ellyse Perry, NSW; Megan Schutt, SA; Elyse Villani, VIC

CA have also named a 12-player squad for the Shooting Stars XI to play England in a two day warm-up game on 6/7th January.
The squad is:-
Alyssa Healy (C), NSW; Kristen Beams, VIC; Lauren Ebsary, SA; Katelyn Fryett, TAS; Julie Hunter, VIC; Jess Jonassen, QLD; Delissa Kimmince, QLD; Beth Mooney, QLD; Chloe Piparo, WA; Angela Reakes, NSW; plus two Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars batters

MD
19/XII/13