Tayla Vlaeminck celebrated her return to international cricket by taking with a wicket with her fourth ball, as Australia thrashed Bangladesh in their series-opening Twenty20 international.

Playing her first game for Australia since January 2022, the Victorian quick beat Sobhana Mostary for pace, splattering the stumps and finishing with 1-30 as Australia restricted Bangladesh to 4-126, before chasing the target down without loss and with seven overs to spare.

Vlaeminck, Australia’s fastest female bowler, suffered two anterior cruciate ligament ruptures and a shoulder dislocation before her 21st birthday. But her latest extended break was caused by stress fractures in her foot and a further shoulder dislocation, requiring more than two years of recovery.

Before going on tour, the 25-year-old admitted that at one stage she privately questioned why officials had kept faith in her.

But on Sunday afternoon, she showed exactly why.

Her pace up from the start, she pierced Mostary’s defences as the No 3 attempted to play back, and she with the World Cup due later this year – also in Bangladesh – she is now a candidate for selection.

Fellow Victorian Sophie Molineux also did her World Cup case no harm. After a ruptured ACL destroyed her 2023, the spinner had Dilara Akter caught with the first ball of the match.

She bowled Fahima Khatun in the final over of the innings to finish with figures of 2-25 while the legspinner Georgia Wareham also impressed, taking 1-18 from her four overs.

In reply, Alyssa Healy (65 not out from 42 balls) and Beth Mooney (55 not out from 36 balls) made light work of the chase. Healy smashed nine fours and a six in a dominant innings, raising 50 in 34 balls, while Mooney hit nine boundaries in her knock as she too brought up a 34-ball 50, the pair taking Australia to their fourth 10-wicket win in T20 history.

Source: theguardian.com