Georgia Voll's field of dreams boosts healthy crop of Australian talent
Young batter puts herself in Ashes frame with seamless move into the international ranks
Valkerie Baynes09-Jan-20251:51
Georgia Voll talks Women’s Ashes
“A little bit of nice backyard space – enough for a footy field.” It’s the sort of childhood home many budding sports stars dream of, and Georgia Voll made the most of it.As spring broke through the chill in Highfields on the outskirts of Toowoomba, two hours’ drive west of Brisbane, Voll and her brother would mow themselves a cricket pitch in the middle and rugby league gave way to cricket. Any big shots to hit the goalpost as it stood in situ through the summer would invariably break it, sparking a search for more pipe to fix it ahead of the next winter.For a long time, it was all about rugby league for Voll. But beyond the under-12 level, she wasn’t allowed to play in the boys’ team and a lack of opportunities for girls at the time meant she had to look elsewhere. And found cricket. She juggled both for a time when girls’ pathways opened up and she was selected in the Queensland Rugby League Under-18 Girls Performance Programme as a 16-year-old.Around the same time, Voll moved to Brisbane with her family and made her cricket debut for Queensland. Armed with her first state cricket contract by the time the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the choice was finally made.Related
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“I got a lot of questions asking, ‘what are you going to pick, how are you’re going to make the decision?’ But it sort of made itself for me when I moved to Brisbane in 2020,” Voll told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “I was fortunate enough to actually pick up a contract that year. Otherwise, I probably would’ve not really been sure what I would’ve done. That decision was made for me as the footy pathways got closed down and the cricket professional stuff hadn’t closed down.”The choice was almost as straightforward when Alyssa Healy suffered a knee injury ahead of Australia’s home ODI series against India in December. After scoring 98 off 84 balls for Queensland against Western Australia in the WNCL, Voll smashed 92 off just 55 and an unbeaten 97 off 56 for new WBBL team Sydney Thunder, whom she had just joined from Brisbane Heat.A powerful right-hander, Voll was picked to open for her country alongside fellow 21-year-old and Thunder team-mate Phoebe Litchfield. And, just like in the backyard at home, Voll made the most of it.An impressive 46 not out at nearly a run-a-ball on debut was followed by 101 off 87 in just her second game, and then 26 as Australia swept India 3-0.
“I’m not the sort of person to let it hit me,” Voll said of her international debut. “I didn’t want to let the moment and how special it is get to me and make me more nervous or worried about what the outcome was. It was just to enjoy myself and play the way that I had been playing to get me to that position.”For that to work out and come off the way it did was pretty awesome. But my mindset was just to back myself and watch-the-ball-hit-the-ball. That was my role coming into it and I wanted to do that the best I could.”Having close friend Litchfield there made the moment all the more special, but it also allowed Voll to retain a sense of normality.”We’re really good mates from [age-group] cricket and it was sort of a ‘pinch me’ moment when we could walk out there a couple of weeks ago and opened the batting for Australia,” Voll said. “That’s something I’ve dreamed of doing and she would’ve dreamed of as well. That we are both there after doing it in Under-15s five, six years ago, to do it at the highest level is awesome.”Litchfield, who scored 60 in a 130-run partnership with Voll as she scored her maiden international century, was delighted for her friend but not surprised.”I know how good she is,” Litchfield said. “There’s so many batters in domestic cricket at the moment who could easily play international cricket, it’s just who is the best one and Volly has definitely earned her place and it’s tough to keep her out of the side.”She’s really just taken her opportunity. You don’t really know long you are going to play for with Midge [Healy] coming back from injury, so to take her opportunity and earn a spot in an Ashes squad is so awesome. It’s a credit to the Cricket Australia pathway, really, domestic cricket is world-class and she’s fitted seamlessly into international cricket.”Georgia Voll was drafted into Australia’s white-ball squads for the Ashes•Getty ImagesVoll was drafted into Australia’s white-ball squads for the Ashes when allrounder Sophie Molineux went out with a knee injury. Healy returned in a batting capacity in New Zealand as Beth Mooney kept wicket, and Voll’s Ashes role could be limited, but a 42-ball 57 for the Governor General’s XI on Thursday opening alongside Healy, who scored 38, will have done her chances of making an appearance no harm.Alongside the likes of Litchfield and in-form 23-year-old allrounder Annabel Sutherland, Voll is at the core of a bright future for Australia which, coupled with a wealth of experience remaining in their line-up, has the hosts looking dangerous ahead of the first ODI against England on Sunday at North Sydney Oval.”That’s something we’ve been speaking about, our depth,” Litchfield said. “It’s allowed me, Alyssa Healy and Georgia Voll to go out there and actually play shots. Traditionally you use the first ten [overs] to consolidate, but we are actually going at sixes and taking the game on to know our depth will back us up.”And Voll is ready to continue her development from the best position imaginable, whether that’s in the dugout or middle.”I’m just there and waiting if they need me,” Voll said. “Obviously it’d be super, especially if I could get out there, but I’m also happy just to be around the group and soak it all up as it’s such a big and special occasion.”You always sit back at home and you watch it and you hope one day that you’ll be there. To be here as a player is pretty special, something that you dream of, and the rivalries between Australia and England are big in all sports, but to have the chance to be a part of an Ashes series is special, especially being at home. I’m looking forward to getting in amongst it and hopefully we can get some wins as well.”