Australia’s openers have hit their stride ahead of the T20 World Cup, but Phoebe Litchfield was again denied a warm-up hit thanks to a quad niggle
Australia coach Shelley Nitschke is confident Phoebe Litchfield will overcome a minor setback to take her spot in a top-order that is otherwise humming ahead of Saturday’s T20 World Cup opener in Manchester.
Litchfield missed both of Australia’s warm-up matches in Cardiff this week due to quad ‘awareness’, with medical staff opting to take the conservative route rather than risk the 22-year-old ahead of a whirlwind tournament.
It does mean that if the left-hander is fit to take her place in the Australia XI to play South Africa at Old Trafford on Saturday, she will do so having played one innings since arriving in the UK on June 27.
Litchfield did not bat in either of Australia’s first two scratch matches against the Proteas in Arundel last week, with Annabel Sutherland instead given an opportunity at first drop, but returned in the third match to score a promising 22-ball 31.
Speaking to reporters following Australia’s six-wicket warm-up win over West Indies on Wednesday, Nitschke backed Litchfield to overcome the hiccup.
“We hope so – she’s had some quad awareness, and it was just on the conservative side to leave her out of these two games, but we’re hopeful that she’s going to take her place in the side first round,” Nitschke said.
If Litchfield does slot in at No.3 on Saturday, she’ll join a top-order that has found form since arriving in the United Kingdom.
Georgia Voll was the latest to break the shackles with her dominant unbeaten 77 from 48 balls against the West Indies.
Her confidence-boosting innings, which saw the Queenslander struggle early, at one point on 13 from 18 balls before finding her feet and accelerating rapidly, followed a run of 4, 0, 16 and 17 to start the tour.
“It was excellent for her,” Nitschke said of Voll.
“I think she’s actually been hitting the ball quite well, probably hasn’t made the scores she would have liked to across these four games.
“By her own admission, she thought she was not going too well early (today), but I think the way she fought her way through and then finished like she did, was really pleasing for her to take that confidence as well moving forward.”
Voll’s opening partner Beth Mooney meanwhile continued her promising start to the World Cup campaign on Wednesday, retiring on 34 from 18 deliveries.
It followed scores of 40, 37, 25 and 43 across Australia’s practice matches.
Australia will have one training session at Old Trafford ahead of Saturday’s match against South Africa and will hope forecast rain on Friday morning does not interrupt their preparations.
Nitschke said selectors were close to settling on their XI for the crucial Group A encounter, but a call on the final make-up of the bowling attack would not be made until closer to the match.
“I think we’re pretty close,” she said.
“I think once we get up to Manchester and have a bit closer look at those conditions, that we’ll start to really feel like what that looks like for game one.”
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson
ICC World Cup warm-up matches
June 9: Australia beat England by five wickets
June 11: Australia beat West Indies by six wickets
Australia’s Group 1 fixtures
June 13: v South Africa, Old Trafford, Manchester, 11:30pm AEST
June 17: v Bangladesh, Headingley, Leeds, 7:30pm AEST
June 20: v Netherlands, Rose Bowl, Hampshire, 7:30pm AEST
June 24: v Pakistan, Headingley, Leeds, 3:30am AEST
June 28: v India, Lord’s, London, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 1: The Oval, London, June 30, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 2: The Oval, London, July 2 (3:30am July 3 AEST)
Final: Lord’s, London, July 5, 11:30pm AEST
Click here for the full tournament schedule
All matches will be broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video
