Meg Lanning

Australia women's team captain Meg Lanning who had taken an extended break from cricket after guiding the Aussies to a Commonwealth gold medal last year, ...

“Gave me a bit of different perspective on things. “I feel like I’ve got a lot left in the game, both from an individual point of view and with the team. I just wanted to switch off from cricket, get away a little bit, give myself a bit of time to think and work out where I wanted to be.

World champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Meg Lanning reveals that she served lattes in her local cafe and took an overseas holiday trip during ...

That's something I haven't done a lot of throughout my career and then life in general, I've always been pretty guarded in what I've done, so that was a different experience for me and a new experience," Lanning added. "Having that little bit of freedom and less structure around what I was doing and going with the flow a little bit more and not getting too worried about things, I really enjoyed that. But having the break, it was certainly something that I needed and it certainly freshened me up a lot."

To regain normalcy, Lanning served lattes, chatted to customers, and washed dishes at her local cafe.

That's something I haven't done a lot of throughout my career and then life in general, I've always been pretty guarded in what I've done, so that was a different experience for me and a new experience," she added. But having the break, it was certainly something that I needed and it certainly freshened me up a lot." Australia captain Meg Lanning recently discussed her decision to take an indefinite break from cricket, revealing that she sought to experience a sense of normalcy by working in her local cafe and taking an overseas holiday.

Meg Lanning says star batter Ellyse Perry is in unstoppable form ahead of the T20 World Cup as Perry explains why she is never content to rest on her ...

"From a competition perspective I think it is going to be the tightest one yet. It is going to be a challenge for us." "Two years is a really long time in the women's game. "Sometimes that happens in a short period of time and other times it takes years to evolve and understand. "I absolutely love this game. It looks very easy.

A sublime combination of the old and the new gave Australia a 1-0 series lead over Pakistan with an eight-wicket victory in the first of three ODIs.

Lanning, fielding in her customary position at cover, called loudly for the catch and took it comfortably. Lanning’s first win of the day had came at the toss and, with clouds still thick in the Brisbane sky, it was no surprise she elected to field. And Lanning is the only Australian woman to have opened the batting for the first time in an ODI at a younger age than Litchfield. When Lanning departed on 67 in the 28th over, caught behind attempting to sweep a loose leg side ball she should have left, Litchfield decided the chase had gone long enough. Alongside her was the new kid on the block, 19-year-old Phoebe Litchfield, making her highly anticipated ODI debut a month after appearing in her first T20I in India. Three days before her maiden ODI, Litchfield was out for a duck playing for the Governor General’s XI against Pakistan, caught chasing a wide delivery from Baig.

Welcome back, Meg Lanning. In her first international fixture since she decided to step away from cricket for six months to freshen her mind after more than ...

But I feel like I’m in a good spot and I’m excited to be back playing for Australia.” “That’s the first time I’ve ever batted with her. It was fitting that Lanning was involved in the run out, while she was all smiles when she held onto a catch late in the innings to help the hosts go 1-0 up in the three-game series. Litchfield only grew in confidence once Lanning departed, hitting back-to-back boundaries and a six in the same over before she hit the winning run to finish unbeaten on 78 filling in for the injured Alyssa Healy. She never looked like getting out but that all changed in the space of two deliveries as she survived a run out shout off a free hit, only to feather a catch to the wicketkeeper off her next delivery to depart for 67. After the bowlers restricted Pakistan to 160 in a rain-shortened innings, Lanning was thrust into the run chase after the rock solid Beth Mooney was knocked over in the opening over.

Australia's master and her apprentice secured an eight-wicket win over Pakistan in the one-day international in Brisbane.

Litchfield is a great find for Australian cricket after the retirement of Rachael Haynes. Her exquisite driving was a highlight. Opener Litchfield, who had made her T20 international debut in India last month, played with maturity beyond her years.

Australia's captain Meg Lanning returned to join forces with debutant Phoebe Litchfield for a dominant chase against Pakistan.

[Daniel Brettig](/by/daniel-brettig-p4ywcj)is The Age's chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via “Then when Meg got out I was like ‘oh, I’m going for it here’, took a liking to one of their spinners, and it came off.” That much was underlined by a halting innings from the visitors after Lanning sent them in under overcast skies. “Meg was great, it’s the first time I’ve ever batted with her or played with her,” Litchfield said afterwards. From there, Lanning and Litchfield were patient in absorbing a few more testing overs before accelerating against the change bowling and each passing 50 to the great appreciation of the Brisbane spectators. In many ways, the Lanning (67 from 76 balls) and Litchfield partnership provided a reminder of the systemic advantages by which Australian women’s cricket remains so far ahead of the rest of the world.

Teenager Phoebe Litchfield and returned Australian captain Meg Lanning have made half-centuries in an eight-wicket ODI win over Pakistan.

“I’ve never batted with Meg or played with her and she is just the best batting partner,” Litchfield said. “Do I get a duck? After making a duck for the Governor General’s XI against Pakistan on Friday, she had a simple plan on debut. She looks set to be a fixture in the Australian batting order for years to come. The 30-year-old got off the mark with a trademark square drive for four and went about her work with customary assurance. Do I get to score some runs.

Teenager Phoebe Litchfield named for her ODI debut as overcast conditions prompt Meg Lanning to bowl first on her return to the Aussie team.

"They're going to be a really good challenge for us, we saw the way that they played the other day against the Governor-General's side and for long periods of that game, they were on top." "They've got a lot of really good senior players but also some really exceptional young talent coming through – someone like Fatima Sana, we got to see her at the one-day World Cup last year and just what she's capable of, and she's only come on since then. This is Australia's first round of the new edition of the Championship and having won both previous editions, they will be eager to secure all six points on offer. Phoebe Litchfield will make her one-day international debut in Australia's first match against Pakistan at Allan Border Field, with Australia bowling first after returning captain Meg Lanning won the toss. Litchfield was presented with ODI cap No.148 by Beth Mooney – who she will open the batting alongside – ahead of a slightly delayed toss due to showers in Brisbane on Monday morning. Teenager Phoebe Litchfield named for her ODI debut as overcast conditions prompt Meg Lanning to bowl first on her return to the Aussie team

First-gamer Phoebe Litchfield and returning captain Meg Lanning both struck half-centuries in Australia's comfortable eight-wicket win over Pakistan.

Mooney remained in the thick of the action, stumping the powerful Aliya Riaz (11) off the bowling of King, before a mix-up in the middle for saw Dar and Kainat Imtiaz (2) left both stranded at the non-strikers end; it required a careful examination from TV umpire who to determine which batter had made their ground first. At the other end, Lanning – playing her first game in the green and gold since taking a six-month break from cricket – was dropped on six and likewise took her time to get going before finding her groove. The 19-year-old left-hander, who memorably scored a WBBL fifty in just her second game in 2019, went one better on Monday as she became the eighth Australian woman to hit a fifty on ODI debut, and at 19 years 273 days, the youngest of that cohort. Sent in by the Australians, Pakistan made tough work of a reduced 40 overs, as spinners Jess Jonassen (2-23), Ashleigh Gardner (1-15) and Alana King (1-21) helped restrict the tourists to 8-160. Litchfield became the first Australian teenager to hit an ODI half-century on debut as she finished unbeaten on 78 from 92 deliveries, while Lanning – who declared herself refreshed and hungry to dominate leading into the game – impressed in her 76-ball 67. Lanning, returning from a six-month break, and Litchfield, the 19-year-old on ODI debut, shared in a 137-run second-wicket stand as Australia reeled in their revised target of 158 in 29 overs.