Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck is set to make her return to action next week following a year-and-a-half out of the game after being selected for the Green vs Gold match in Sydney.
Vlaeminck has not played since dislocating her right shoulder in the opening game of the 2024 T20 World Cup. She had initially hoped to play in this season’s WBBL but that was scrapped due to a longer-than-expected recovery.
She is now due to line-up in the three-day fixture which sees established and emerging domestic players split into two squads. Vlaeminck has been selected in the Green squad which will be led by allrounder Charli Knott. Gold will be captained by Katie Mack who was recently named New South Wales’ player of the year.
“When you’re coming back from a long-term rehab, the rest of the body has to get used to training as well, so there’s been a few little hiccups here and there, which is pretty common and has been the whole way through my career,” Vlaeminck said recently at the launch of the 2026-27 schedule.
“I’m feeling really good now, and just loving being back out there in the nets and getting out of the gym, which has been really good. I haven’t played cricket in almost 16 months now, so just to get back out there, it’s just really exciting … I’ve been watching cricket for a long time now, and the more you watch it, and the closer you get to playing, the more you realise how much you miss it.”
Vlaeminck, 27, has had an injury-hit career which includes two dislocations of her left shoulder and stress fractures of the foot. Prior to her international debut in 2018 she had undergone two ACL reconstructions.
Despite first playing for Australia six year ago, she has only appeared 29 times across the three formats.
None of the players involved in the tour of West Indies have been considered for the three-day match. Rachel Trenaman, who was called into the squad against India, will play for Green. Fast bowler Maitlan Brown, who would likely have been considered, has signed a county deal with Surrey.
“The three-day format is an important step in preparing players for the demands of international cricket, and it complements the continued growth of our Australia A program,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.
Green squad Jemma Barsby, Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Milly Illingworth, Charli Knott, Eleanor Larosa, Claire Moore, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Callie Wilson, Tayla Vlaeminck
Gold squad Maddy Darke, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Sianna Ginger, Ella Hayward, Amy Hunter, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack (capt), Lilly Mills, Courtney Neale, Frankie Nicklin, Olivia Porter, Courtney Webb
