Women’s T20 World Cup: Tayla Vlaeminck will keep an eye on the speed gun

An Australian fast bowler is still determined to break speed records as she prepares to break a six-year World Cup drought.

Injuries denied Tayla Vlaeminck the chance to be the first woman past the 130km/h barrier, but the Australian fast bowler says reaching that mark remains a key goal.

Vlaeminck, 25, is poised to form a key part of Australia’s T20 World Cup title defence next month after a cruel run of injury setbacks kept her out of the previous two tournaments.

The Victorian right-arm quick played in her first T20 internationals in more than two years when Australia toured Bangladesh in March and claimed career-best figures of 3-12 in the final game of the series before a strong six-month block of training in the off-season.

Two foot stress fractures and a freak shoulder dislocation while bowling in the UK meant almost three years spent in rehab, but Vlaeminck said she was still determined to clock high speeds in international cricket.

Australian fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck says she can still hit high speeds with a modified bowling action starting to feel more natural. Picture: Mark Brake / Getty Images

“I’ll just try to run in and bowl fast, be aggressive pretty much throughout the whole time, and I can get the licence to do that because we have so many bowlers who can also be called on to bowl defensively,” Vlaeminck said.

“Some days are better than others, but the longer I’m out there and the more game experience I get, the more natural it feels and the less I’ve had to worry about the new action changes and that sort of stuff, and the more I just get into the contest. Hopefully, the speed keeps increasing as we go.”

In a washed-out T20 against India in 2021, Vlaeminck had two balls wrongly registered at 145km/h, but reaching speeds of 130-plus was in her sights after South African quick Shabnim Ismail became the first to cross the mark during this year’s WPL.

“I’d love to (crack 130km/h) … there’s often more important things like taking wickets, but I’m someone who needs a goal and something to drive them, so if I can be bowling faster, it’s only going to be better for the team as well,” she said.

“So it’s definitely something I’ve got my eye on, but just being more consistently out there is what’s at the forefront of my mind at the moment.”

Injuries kept Vlaeminck out of the 2020 and 2022 T20 World Cup wins, but she played in Australia’s 2018 triumph at the start of her international career. Picture: Matt Roberts / Getty Images

Australia’s tour earlier this year was meant to serve as important preparation for when Bangladesh hosted the World Cup in March, but the tournament was shifted to the UAE last month due to recent political unrest in the Asian nation.

With limited women’s cricket played in the UAE until now, Vlaeminck said Australia would be in the same boat as everyone else when it came to preparing for the conditions.

“From what we’ve gathered, it’s still going to be similar, spin-friendly conditions, so that will hold us in good stead,” she said.

The Australian squad will travel to Mackay on Monday for three T20s against New Zealand, before they arrive in the UAE for a warm-up game against England on September 29.

Vlaeminck said fellow quick Darcie Brown was on track to play against the Kiwis in Queensland despite sitting out a recent series of state practice matches on the Sunshine Coast.

Brown did not turn out for South Australia, but Vlaeminck said the 21-year-old, who also suffered a foot stress injury, was building her bowling loads in the nets.

Australian squad for Women’s T20 World Cup: Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck. Reserve: Heather Graham.

Originally published as Women’s T20 World Cup: Tayla Vlaeminck will keep an eye on the speed gun