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Find your local frequencyWashout ruins final match of White Ferns T20 series in Australia
Malcolm Conn, AAP • October 23rd, 2026 2:00 am
Sophie Molineux with the Rose Bowl Trophy after Australia's T20I series triumph over New Zealand | Photo: Robbie Stephenson/AAP
Captain Sophie Molineux has highlighted the importance of Australia relying on Twenty20 franchise leagues to prepare for the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in India in February following the washout ending to their T20I series with New Zealand.
Speaking after the third and final match was rained off at North Sydney Oval on Thursday, leaving Australia as 2-0 series winners, Molineux said the Women's Big Bash League, which begins next week, was a key tournament for the Australian players.
"It's definitely becoming more of a thing now," Molineux said, talking of the significance of franchise cricket in national team preparation.
The final match between Australia and the White Ferns was beaten by the rain | Photo: Robbie Stephenson/AAP
"It's being really deliberate about what we want to do as individuals ... because we don't have a lot of time together.
"When we do get together as a group, usually it's not long before a big tournament that we can hit the ground running and not waste any time. That will definitely be a big focus in the next three months."
The WBBL will be followed by the Women's Premier League in India early next year, which runs straight into the first Women's Champions Trophy, a condensed Twenty20 International tournament to be played in India during February.
Originally scheduled for next June and July in Sri Lanka, the six-team tournament was moved to India and brought forward because of administrative issues in Sri Lanka.
Australia allrounder Ash Gardner won the Player of the Series trophy | Photo: Robbie Stephenson/AAP
Australia are red-hot favourites for the new women's event after stretching their unbeaten run in T20 cricket to 13 matches, including a clean sweep of the T20 World Cup in the UK last June and July.
Molineux rated the WBBL as the best women's franchise league in the world, with White Ferns captain Melia Kerr lamenting she was the only current White Fern to be chosen by a WBBL team this season.
"I'd love to see more Kiwis get a shot," said Kerr who will be in her third season for the Sydney Sixers.
"Six years ago we had a lot of Kiwis playing in the Big Bash. That would be awesome."
Thursday night's match started 40 minutes late and lasted just 2.4 overs before the rain set in again after New Zealand were unable to make an early impact.
White Ferns captain Melie Kerr | Photo: Robbie Stephenson/AAP
Young opening batter Georgia Plimmer had a difficult start, managing just a single from the last ball of Kim Garth's opening over before being bowled in Garth's following over for two from 12 balls.
Melie Kerr had already departed, hitting a boundary off her first ball then skying a slog off Molineux to be caught from her second.
Plimmer's tentative start was a world away from the 22-year-old's player-of-the-match performance in the opening game last Sunday, when she scored an unbeaten 85 from 68 balls.
