Melbourne: Molly Strano will captain this season’s Governor-General’s XI against India in a T20 fixture at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval on January 28.
Strano, 27, boasts a domestic career spanning nearly ten years. She has captained her native Victoria and Melbourne Renegades as well as numerous Cricket Australia XI and Australia A teams.
Spinner Strano will be joined by leading aircraftswoman Tayla Seymour, an Air Force firefighter based at RAAF Williamtown. Seymour is the current Australian Defence Force (ADF) Captain and plays first-grade cricket for Penrith, having also played underage representative cricket.
In its fifth year, the Governor-General’s XI match – inspired by the traditional Prime Minister’s XI game – pits some of the best young female players in Australia against a touring team. This year’s match will be played on the eve of the T20I tri-series between Australia, England, and India, which starts in Canberra on January 31.
In conjunction with the Governor-General, David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), the National Selection Panel (NSP) has named the following 12-player squad.
Governor-General’s XI: Stella Campbell, Hannah Darlington, Josie Dooley, Heather Graham, Charli Knott, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Taneale Peschel, Tayla Seymour, Molly Strano (c), and Belinda Vakarewa.
Speaking on the selection of the team, National Selector Shawn Flegler said: “Molly has a range of leadership experiences and we felt she was the perfect fit for this role. She’s led the way this season with her bowling and has proven herself as a leader both on and off the field throughout her career.”
“There are some strong, in-form batters in the side including Bridget Patterson, Tahlia McGrath, Josie Dooley, Litchfield and Heather Graham who will take the game on which is exciting,” she added.
The Governor-General said he was looking forward to a hard-fought contest and the opportunity for some of our up and coming cricketers to test themselves against world-class competition.
“I am excited to see the Governor-General’s XI side in action on the 28th – especially the chance to see how some of our finest young cricketers perform against one of the best sides in the world,” the Governor-General said.
“It will be a great event. If you are in Sydney, Linda and I encourage you to come down to Drummoyne Oval,” he added.