WNCL: Chloe Ainsworth rushed in for Western Australia’s clash with ACT, English import considered for debut

Newly-crowned Young Cricketer of the Year Chloe Ainsworth will race to Canberra from the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia to play for Western Australia later this week. Ainsworth, who won the prize at Tuesday night’s Australian Cricket Awards, will be available for WA’s two Women’s National Cricket League matches against ACT on Friday and Sunday. The new-ball weapon took just three wickets in five matches during the tournament in Malaysia, where Australia were bundled out in a semifinal by South Africa. But the 19-year-old was the Scorchers’ second-leading wicket-taker in the Women’s Big Bash League — behind only Alana King — and has five scalps to her name in just two matches during an injury-interrupted WNCL. The West Australian also understands English fast bowler Emily Arlott is in the mix to make her debut for WA. Arlott, who arrived as an overseas player for South Perth after Christmas, has been training with the group and is now being strongly considered to face the Comets later this week. That would be at the expense of fellow Englishwoman, all-rounder Naomi Dattani, who has played WA’s past four matches. Ashes heroes Beth Mooney and Alana King — who was named player-of-the-series — are expected to be given a period of rest, with little expectation for Australia’s top players to turn out in the domestic competition this year. Becky Grundy’s side have won just one game this season — an upset victory over New South Wales at the WACA Ground last month — and their two clashes with ACT are their best chance to jump off the bottom of the table. They lost twice to Victoria at Junction Oval last week, including a heart-breaking defeat where a ninth-wicket partnership scored 21 from 19 balls to chase down WA’s 8-275. Fast bowler Taneale Peschel missed that double-header with a quad injury.