West Bairnsdale cricketing prodigy, Sophie Molineux, lived a childhood dream last Thursday night, handed Australian women’s cricket’s 175th Test match cap and she has already made a mark at the highest level.
Molineux, selected to make her Test match debut against Australia’s old enemy, England, in the multi-format Ashes series taking place in England, was the star of the show on day three of the four-day contest.
Making 21 from 46 balls after entering at number eight, helping the Aussies post a formidable 8/420 declared, before dismantling England’s top order by taking 3/71 from 29 overs, Molineux took to Test cricket like a duck to water, looking right at home at the Somerset County Ground.
“Today was pretty special,” Molineux said at the conclusion of day three.
“I love Test cricket and love wearing whites and playing with the red ball. I played a lot of longer format cricket growing up back home and just to put the whites back on again I felt quite at home.
“To get out there and play with a baggy green on your head, you’ve just got to enjoy it and have fun and that’s what we did out there.”
Molineux’s parents, Mark and Therese, said it has been an emotional few days for the family.
“We are very proud of Soph. She has worked very hard to get where she is,” Sophie’ s father, Mark, who is West Bairnsdale legend and her lifelong cricketing mentor, said.
Unfortunately the family was unable to make the trip to England to watch her play, but has strapped in to watch every ball on television.
“Soph rang us to let us know that she had been selected the day before and Cricket Australia faced timed us to watch the cap presentation and I got a bit teary watching her put the baggy green on,” Therese said.
“She is used to the red ball stuff and she played a lot of it back in Bairnsdale, she is having an absolute ball.” Australian women’s cricket legend, Belinda Clark, handed Molineux her cap, while fellow debutants, Ashleigh Gardner and Tayla Vlaeminck, received their caps from men’s Indigenous 11 captain, Dan Christian, and Australia spearhead, Mitchell Starc. Gardner is just the third indigenous cricketer men’s and women’s to don the baggy green.
Molineux’s debut marks a meteoric rise up the national cricketing ranks for the 21–year-old, from a talented West Bairnsdale junior and promising domestic rookie.
Four years ago Molineux made a stunning Bairnsdale Cricket Association “A” grade debut, taking four wickets for her beloved West Bairnsdale against St Mary’s Nagle.
The all rounder made her international debut in India in 2018 and has since swiftly found her feet in the green and gold, playing every match as Australia won the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean last November.
Her Ashes hopes suffered a major blow when she dislocated her shoulder at Victorian training in February, but she impressed enough in her Australia A return to be a late addition to Australia’s Test squad just last week where she scored an unbeaten 65 at better than a run a ball and bagged five wickets against the England Lions.
Molineux got off the mark in her Test debut with a square cut behind point for four off her 10th ball facing England spearhead, Katherine Brunt.
She would smash another cur for four off Anya Shrubsole, however was bowled by Sophie Ecclestone as the Aussies upped the ante.
Introduced into Australia’s attack as the first change bowler, Molineux picked up her first wicket in her eighth over, trapping England gun, Heather Knight lbw.
She would follow with the crucial scalp of opener, Amy Jones, caught at mid off for 64 before claiming another leg before wicket when Sarah Taylor was wrapped on the pads.
Australia needed a further 14 wickets on the final day beginning last night, however a draw would ensure the Aussies take home the Ashes.
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Sophie Molineux, fulfilled a lifelong dream last Thursday night when she was handed Australian women’s cricket’s 175th Test match baggy green cap. Molineux was selected to make her Test match debut against England in the multi-format Ashes series taking place in England. Molineux has taken to the highest level of women’s cricket with astonishing comfort, scoring 21 off 46 balls and taking 3/71 from 29 overs on day three. (Photo: Cricket Australia)
