Sophie Molineux

Sophie Grace Molineux (born 17 January 1998) is an Australian cricketer who plays for the Victorian Spirit in the Women's National Cricket League and for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women's Big Bash League.[1] A left-hander all-rounder, Molineux won the Betty Wilson Young Player of the Year award at the 2017 Allan Border Medal Ceremony. She made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut for Australia Women against India Women on 22 March 2018.[2] She made her Women's One Day International cricket (WODI) debut for Australia Women against Pakistan Women on 18 October 2018.[3]

Sophie Molineux
Molineux bowling for Victoria
Personal information
Full nameSophie Grace Molineux
Born (1998-01-17) 17 January 1998
Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingLeft-arm orthodox spin
RoleAll-rounder
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 175)18 July 2019 v England
ODI debut (cap 138)18 October 2018 v Pakistan
Last ODI22 October 2018 v Pakistan
T20I debut (cap 48)22 March 2018 v India
Last T20I8 March 2020 v India
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2015–presentMelbourne Renegades (squad no. 23)
2016–presentVictorian Spirit
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WT20I
Matches 1 3 21
Runs scored 62 27 29
Batting average 31.00 13.50 7.25
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0
Top score 41 26 11
Balls bowled 222 156 411
Wickets 4 6 21
Bowling average 23.75 6.50 19.61
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 4/95 4/14 4/16
Catches/stumpings 0/– 4/– 9/–
Source: ESPNCricinfo, 8 March 2020

Early life

Born in Bairnsdale in eastern Victoria, Molineux has been involved in cricket since her early childhood. When she was about 10 years old, she was talent spotted by John Harmer, former head coach of Australia and England's women's teams, who was engaged as a private coach for her.[4] She took seven wickets for zero runs in a Victorian primary school game as a 12-year-old and then as a 13-year-old she made 98 off 60 balls, which included five sixes. She made her men's A grade debut for the West Bairnsdale Cricket Club at 16.[5] She took a hat-trick while playing for Gippsland in the Under-18 VicSpirit Championships in 2013[6] and played in both the Victorian U-15's and U-18's sides.[7]

Limited overs career

Molineux debuted for the Victorian Spirit in Australia's women's domestic limited overs competition, the Women's National Cricket League on 15 October 2016 against the ACT Meteors.[8] In her second match against the Western Fury, she dismissed Heather Graham for her debut limited overs wicket. Taking a further two wickets in the innings, she finished with figures of 3/41.[9] She followed this up with another three-wicket haul against the New South Wales Breakers where she also scored 20 runs opening the batting.[10] She top scored with 55 in the match against the Queensland Fire to record her first half century in the format.[11] Molineux finished the season with a total seven wickets at an average of 20.71.[12]

Twenty20 and international career

Molineux made her women's Twenty20 debut for the Melbourne Renegades during the inaugural Women's Big Bash League season in 2015–16. Playing 10 of the 14 games for Melbourne, Molineux took her first WT20 wicket in her fourth match – Nicola Carey of the Sydney Thunder clean bowled for 13.[13] In the match against the Sydney Sixers on 8 January, she took her first three-wicket haul, collecting the wickets of Alyssa Healy, Sara McGlashan and Ashleigh Gardner all caught and bowled.[14][15] The following day in the match against the Thunder, Molineux improved on her performance taking figures of 3/18.[16][17]

She returned the following season and played all 14 matches for the Renegades. During the opening weekend double header against the Adelaide Strikers, she scored a career high 37 not out in the first match and took career best figures of 4/18 and scored 28 runs with the bat in a player of the match performance in the second.[18][19][20] Promoted up the order to opener midway through the season, Molineux equalled her top score of 37 in her match against the Perth Scorchers on 29 December 2016.[21] She finished the season with a career total of 16 wickets at 26.75 and 305 runs at an average of 21.78.[12]

Her performance earned her the inaugural Betty Wilson Young Player of the Year award at the 2017 Allan Border Medal Ceremony. Named in honour of Betty Wilson, one of Australia's great all-rounders, it recognises a female cricketer who, prior to 5 December 2015, was aged under 25 and had played 10 or fewer matches.[22]

In October 2018, she was named in Australia's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.[23][24]

In November 2018, she was named in the Melbourne Renegades' squad for the 2018–19 Women's Big Bash League season.[25][26] In April 2019, Cricket Australia awarded her with a contract ahead of the 2019–20 season.[27][28] In July 2019, she was added to Australia's squad for the one-off Test match in the Women's Ashes against England.[29] She made her Test debut for Australia against England women on 18 July 2019.[30] In January 2020, she was named in Australia's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.[31]

Representative career

Molineux was selected to play for the Australia Governor-General's XI against the touring Indian women's team in January 2016[32] and again in November 2016 against the touring South Africa.[33] In March and April 2016, she played eight matches for Australia A against Sri Lanka A and England A in the 2015–16 Women's Development Series in Colombo.[7]

Personal life

She graduated from Nagle College, Bairnsdale in 2016 and plans to study occupational therapy. She currently resides in Fitzroy, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne.[5]. She is house-mates with her two Renegades and Australian team-mates, Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck.[34] In November 2019, Molineux announced that she would be taking a break from the Women's Big Bash League, due to mental health issues.[35]

References
  1. "Molineux sets her sights on a place in history". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  2. "1st match, India Tri-Nation Women's T20 Series at Mumbai, Mar 22 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. "1st ODI, ICC Women's Championship at Kuala Lumpur, Oct 18 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  4. Jolly, Laura (23 July 2018). "The country kid ready to take on the world". Cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  5. Sewell, Eliza (16 December 2016). "Melbourne Renegades all-rounder Sophie Molineux poised for higher honours after bright WBBL start". Herald Sun. Melbourne: News Corp Australia. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  6. Strickland, Hayley (11 December 2013). "Molineux claims a hat-trick". Cricket Victoria. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  7. "List of the women's miscellaneous matches for Sophie Molineux". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  8. "List of the women's limited overs matches for Sophie Molineux". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  9. "Women's National Cricket League, 9th Match: Western Australia Women v Victoria Women at Perth, Oct 16, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  10. "Women's National Cricket League, 16th Match: Victoria Women v New South Wales Women at Melbourne, Nov 18, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  11. "Women's National Cricket League, 18th Match: Victoria Women v Queensland Women at Melbourne, Nov 19, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  12. "Profile of Sophie Molineux". CricketArchive. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  13. "Women's Big Bash League, 17th Match: Sydney Thunder Women v Melbourne Renegades Women at Brisbane, Dec 19, 2015". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  14. Westbury, Isabelle (8 January 2016). "Healy, Perry go large to deliver Sixers win". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  15. "Women's Big Bash League, 40th Match: Melbourne Renegades Women v Sydney Sixers Women at Melbourne, Jan 8, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  16. Westbury, Isabelle (9 January 2016). "Renegades rally to rumble Thunder". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  17. "Women's Big Bash League, 42nd Match: Melbourne Renegades Women v Sydney Thunder Women at Melbourne (Docklands), Jan 9, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  18. Nicholson, Larissa (11 December 2016). "Is Sophie Molineux Australia's next ace all-rounder?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  19. "Women's Big Bash League, 2nd Match: Adelaide Strikers Women v Melbourne Renegades Women at Sydney, Dec 10, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  20. "Women's Big Bash League, 4th Match: Melbourne Renegades Women v Adelaide Strikers Women at Sydney, Dec 11, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  21. "Women's Big Bash League, 24th Match: Melbourne Renegades Women v Perth Scorchers Women at Melbourne (Docklands), Dec 29, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  22. Jolly, Laura (23 January 2017). "Molineux wins Betty Wilson Award". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  23. "Australia reveal World Twenty20 squad". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  24. "Jess Jonassen, Nicole Bolton in Australia's squad for ICC Women's World T20". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  25. "WBBL04: All you need to know guide". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  26. "The full squads for the WBBL". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  27. "Georgia Wareham handed first full Cricket Australia contract". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  28. "Georgia Wareham included in Australia's 2019-20 contracts list". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  29. "Sophie Molineux called into Australia Women's Ashes squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  30. "Only Test, Australia Women tour of England at Taunton, Jul 18-21 2019". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  31. "Sophie Molineux and Annabel Sutherland named in Australia's T20 World Cup squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  32. "India Women tour of Australia, Tour Match: Australia Governor-General's XI v India Women at Sydney, Jan 22, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  33. "South Africa Women tour of Australia, Practice Match: Australia Governor-General's XI v South Africa Women at Sydney, Nov 13, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  34. Jolly, Laura (24 November 2018). "Molineux reflects on rapid rise to the top". Cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  35. "Sophie Molineux takes a break from WBBL for mental health reasons". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2019.

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