Aussie stars re-live World Cup glory for the first time

Tahlia McGrath is determined to carry her domestic form into Australia’s ODI series against Bangladesh as she prepares to step in for Sophie Molineux as national captain.

McGrath could hardly have asked for a better personal start to the Women’s National Cricket League season, scoring 154 from 137 deliveries and taking two wickets in a narrow loss to Victoria at Junction Oval.

Tuesday’s innings, which rescued South Australia from 5-97 and helped them post a total of 7-290, was McGrath’s first century in any format since September 2022.

It’s a statistic that is reflective of her infrequent appearances in the WNCL, and her reduced opportunities in international cricket after being shuffled down to No.7 in the Australian batting order – and a well-timed performance for McGrath looking ahead to a busy 2026-27 summer.

“It felt really nice,” McGrath said following the match. “It was really nice to spend some time in the middle and really nice to actually contribute to a team score.

“I really enjoyed it. I feel a bit flat now (about the result), but at the innings break, I felt pretty good.

“We knew it was such a good wicket. Jem (Barsby) and I spoke about trying to get a platform so that we could go hard at the end, and then it was piling on as many runs as possible.”

Return of T-Mac: McGrath hammers 154 for SA

The Junction Oval match was the allrounder’s first official game since Australia’s tour of the Caribbean in April, after she was consigned to carrying drinks at the T20 World Cup in June and July.

McGrath did not enter The Hundred auction, and after a prolonged gap between games, the 30-year-old is now eager to play as much cricket as possible over the coming months.

She was also named in Australia’s T20I squad to play New Zealand from October 18, where she will hope to force her way back into the XI, while Weber WBBL|12 begins October 29 before Australia travel to Sri Lanka for three one-dayers in December.

“It’s given me a heap of confidence,” McGrath said.

“I haven’t spent a lot of time in the middle for the last 18 months, so hopefully it’s the start of a big summer for me, hopefully, contributing to a bit of team success as well.”

Next week, McGrath will fly to Brisbane to join the Australia squad ahead of the first one-dayer against Bangladesh on October 9, where she’ll lead in place of regular skipper Molineux, who is recovering from a hip injury.

Molineux will remain with the squad for that series, with the hope being she will be fit to lead Australia against New Zealand in the subsequent series.

First though, McGrath has her sights set on settling the score against Victoria when they are scheduled to play again on Thursday, after Aussie teammates Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham laid the platform for a drought-breaking win for the Vics.

“We were good for so many aspects and so many components of the game, but fielding really let us down,” she said.

“(There were) probably four or five half-chance catches put down, a few fumbles, and that’s probably the difference in the end.

“But really quality innings from Bels and Wolf (Sutherland and Wareham), they were clinical. 

“It’s such a nice wicket that you can afford to take a little bit of time to get yourself in, and you’re going to cash in massively at the back end.

“So hopefully we’ll (score more) runs up top to allow us to go big at the back end again.”

NRMA Insurance Women’s ODI Series v Bangladesh

Australia ODI squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham 

First ODI: Friday, October 9 (D/N)

Second ODI: Sunday, October 11 (D/N)

Third ODI: Wednesday, October 14 (D/N)

* All matches played at Allan Border Field, Brisbane, starting at 1:50pm local

NRMA Insurance Women’s T20 Series v New Zealand

Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham 

First T20I: Sunday, October 18

Second T20I: Tuesday, October 20

Third T20I: Thursday, October 22

* All matches played at North Sydney Oval starting at 7:15pm AEDT

All women’s international matches will be shown live on Seven, 7Plus, Kayo Sports and Foxtel