Hancock and Parsons star as Australia A make it 2-0

August 9, 2024
7:07 pm

Australia A 133 for 2 (Wilson 53*, McGrath 47*) beat India A 130 for 9 (Punia 29, Parsons 4-30, Hancock 3-14) by eight wickets

In a show of the player depth on offer, legspinner Grace Parsons and quick Nicola Hancock both starred on their Australia A debuts as the home side claimed the T20 series against India A with an eight-wicket victory.

The pair had come into the Australia A side in place of Maitlan Brown and Tayla Vlaeminck and combined to finish with 7 for 44 from eight overs. Tahlia Wilson then made it back-to-back half-centuries to control the chase which was completed with ten deliveries to spare

For Parsons, the 20-year-old who is part of Brisbane Heat’s WBBL squad having missed out on a chance to play last season due to injury, it was her T20 debut having only previously featured for Queensland in the WNCL. She bagged four wickets, including the key scalp of Priya Punia who had played superbly in the opening match and top-scored in this innings with 29 off 26 balls. Parsons then closed out her spell with two more wickets in the space of three balls.

“I’ve never actually played a T20 before, apart from at [my] club so today was very nerve wracking,” Parsons said. “But my plans don’t change too much.

“It was pretty special. I’m always nervous at the start, especially when I haven’t played cricket for quite a few months, but it was nice to get the first game out of the way and take a few wickets. It was a pretty special thing to get the call up into the Aus A team and then to be playing today, it’s pretty awesome.”

Hancock, who was a late addition to the squad when Courtney Sippel was ruled out through injury, had claimed the first wicket when she had Shweta Sehrawat taken off a top edge – Nicole Faltum taking an excellent running catch – and conceded just 14 from her three overs.

The regular loss of wickets meant India A struggled for momentum and at one stage lost 3 for 10 between the 11th and 13th overs.

The target didn’t stretch Australia A despite the early loss of Katie Mack as Wilson continued her impressive early-season form. Captain Tahlia McGrath, who had fallen first ball in the opening match, helped her side speed to target with a flurry of boundaries in an unbroken stand of 69.