Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck is expected to pull on the spikes again next week, having been picked for the annual Green v Gold three-day match in Sydney. The outing will be her first since she dislocated her right shoulder in Australia’s opening match of the 2024 T20 World Cup – a break that stretched to roughly 16 months and felt even longer, she admits.
The 27-year-old quick had hoped to sneak back through last season’s WBBL, yet rehab dragged on. A few extra strength sessions, a couple of “why is this still sore?” days, and suddenly the domestic season had passed her by. Now she is pencilled into the Green XI, captained by emerging all-rounder Charli Knott, while batter Katie Mack leads Gold after claiming New South Wales’ player-of-the-year award.
“When you’re coming back from a long-term rehab, the rest of the body has to get used to training as well, so there’s been a few little hiccups here and there, which is pretty common and has been the whole way through my career,” Vlaeminck said recently at the launch of the 2026-27 schedule.
“I’m feeling really good now, and just loving being back out there in the nets and getting out of the gym, which has been really good. I haven’t played cricket in almost 16 months now, so just to get back out there, it’s just really exciting … I’ve been watching cricket for a long time now, and the more you watch it, and the closer you get to playing, the more you realise how much you miss it.”
The numbers underline her frustration. Vlaeminck debuted for Australia in 2018 but, thanks to two ACL reconstructions, repeated shoulder issues and foot stress fractures, owns only 29 international caps. Selectors still see the raw pace – comfortably mid-140s km/h on her best days – as worth the investment. This low-key three-dayer, designed to mix established state players with younger prospects, is the next checkpoint.
Those returning from the current tour of the West Indies were not considered, keeping the focus on domestic performers. Rachel Trenaman, initially called into the squad against India, joins Vlaeminck in Green. Fast bowler Maitlan Brown’s county stint with Surrey rules her out.
National selector Shawn Flegler put the fixture in broader context. “The three-day format is an important step in preparing players for the demands of international cricket, and it complements the continued growth of our Australia A program,” he said.
Green squad: Jemma Barsby, Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Milly Illingworth, Charli Knott, Eleanor Larosa, Claire Moore, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Callie Wilson, Tayla Vlaeminck.
Gold squad: Maddy Darke, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Sianna Ginger, Ella Hayward, Amy Hunter, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack (capt), Lilly Mills, Courtney Neale, Frankie Nicklin, Olivia Porter, Courtney Webb.
For Vlaeminck, though, the real headline is simpler than squad lists: she is finally bowling again. If the shoulder holds up across three days, national duty could follow sooner rather than later – but first things first, she just wants that new-ball feel back in her hand.
