The dream Phoebe Litchfield will realise when she takes field against South Africa

Phoebe Litchfield grew up idolising Australian captain Alyssa Healy.

Now, the 20-year-old prodigy from Orange is opening the batting alongside her, and will be an integral part of the Australian team aiming to secure an ODI series victory over South Africa at North Sydney Oval on Wednesday.

“I’ve looked up to Midge [Healy] for pretty much my whole childhood, so to be opening the batting with her is awesome,” she said.

“Whenever I’m under pressure I’ll just look at her, and she’ll give me a little nod or a thumbs up, and it’s really nice to have that calming presence at the other end. I’ve found it was definitely very similar to Meg [Lanning] when I batted with her once or twice.”

Litchfield, along with Healy and allrounder Ashleigh Gardner, is yet another NSW player who has solidified her spot in the Australian side across all three formats.

“When they said I’d be opening, it was a big shock. I thought I’d start [the same] as I started my domestic career, sort of in the middle order and then work my way up,” she said.

Phoebe Litchfield has locked down a spot in the Australian team across all three formats. Credit: Nick Moir

“So to be sort of put in the top order straight away was a surprise, but a challenge, nonetheless, and I [thought], ‘There’s nothing to lose’. That mentality sort of got me through a couple of innings and [I] started to feel more comfortable, and then started to put some scores together and start[ed] to solidify my place.”

After making her Australian debut against India as a teenager in 2022, Litchfield was dropped from the T20 team for the 2023 World Cup in South Africa. She earned her place back in the side for the matches against West Indies in October last year, where she took on a new role as a middle-order finisher.

“The real work on was the T20 squad, it’s probably the worst format for me personally, just in the way you have to play, but to earn a spot back in that squad was really rewarding,” she said.

“It was really cool to be recognised as that point of difference in the middle order with a left-handed option and just working [out] ways to score runs.”

Ash Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield and Alyssa Healy.Credit: Nick Moir

Litchfield’s levelheadedness and skill with the bat has drawn comparisons with former captain Lanning, and with an ODI average of 56, the young left-hander is on track for the same kind of success.

“To be compared to her or likened to her is a huge complement, and look, I’ll take it, but I’m trying to be my own player But I definitely take some inspiration off her and the way she played her cricket and paved the way for women’s cricket in general,” she said.

With an Australian spot locked down and a Test against South Africa in Perth later this month, Litchfield said the focus was on consistency.

“I haven’t really set goals, to be honest, I’ve just sort of tried to get in the side and then score runs,” she said.

“That’s been enough motivation to just keep working hard at the nets and doing that stuff ... just contributing to the side and really owning that opening position and trying to score as many runs as I can, And then obviously, in my mind, a Test 100 would be pretty cool.”