Shelley Nitschke

The Australian season ended with a home series against India in Adelaide. In the one-off Test, Nitschke—now promoted to No. 7—came in at 5/130 and made 18 from 27 balls before fallaing at 6/159, before Australia was out for 250. She then took 2/9 from eight overs, removing Devika Palshikar and Amita Sharma, as the hosts took a 157-run first innings lead and then enforced the follow on. She then took 1/29 from 26 overs, including 15 maidens, again dismissing Sharma, to help dismiss the tourists for 153 and seal victory by an innings and four runs. Nitschke played in all three matches as Australia swept the ODIs. She had a small workload, making six runs in her only innings and totalling 0/30 from 12 overs. In her only innings, she was given an opportunity to bat in the middle-order for the first time for Australia, but she made only six from 22 balls before being bowled.

A Super Over eventuated, and Nitschke was not used as Australia made 2/6 from their over. She was called upon to bowl Australia's over. On the third ball of the over, Claire Taylor was run out by Jess Cameron while trying to take a second run and England were at 1/5 after five balls. Beth Morgan hit Nitschke away and attempted to runs to take England to seven runs and a victory, but was not fast enough for Cameron's throw and was run out, tying the scores once again. Australia was awarded the match because they had hit more sixes in the match—Cameron scored the solitary six.

The domestic competition was followed by two international series against England and New Zealand. Nitschke made 14 and took 1/23 from four overs as Australia won the T20 international against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the ODIs that followed, drawn 2–2, Nitschke scored 140 runs at 35.00 and took four wickets at 28.25 at an economy rate of 3.53. In the first match, she took 2/38 from ten overs and made 24 in a 56-run loss. With the series levelled at 1–1 she made 54 in a seven-wicket loss in the third match, before making 50 in a 41-run in the final match. In the one-off Test at Bowral, Nitschke batted at No. 5 and scored four as Australia fell to 5/59 before ending on 154 all out. She then took 2/27 from 24.4 overs, removing Lydia Greenway and Isa Guha as England ended on 244 all out with a 90-run lead. She contributed 36 of the hosts' second innings of 9/231 declared. After coming in at 3/34 with Australia still 56 runs in arrears, Nitschke consolidated the innings with Sthalekar, compiling a partnership of 107 runs in 43.2 overs. Nitschke was eventually out after 122-ball, 159-minute stay at the crease. She took 1/24 in the second innings, trapping Greenway for 26 as the tourists reached their target of 142 with six wickets in hand.

Nitschke missed the first four matches due to injury. Returning for the final match at Manuka Oval in Canberra, she took 2/16 from her ten overs, and then top-scored with 94 as Australia made 3/178 to win by seven wickets and complete a 5–0 whitewash.

After the WNCL ended, the Australians headed to New Zealand for the Rose Bowl series ahead of the World Cup. Nitschke took one wicket and made single-digit scores in each of the first two matches as Australia went 2–0 down. Australia needed to win the remaining three matches to win the series, and Nitschke made 73 and took 1/20 from seven overs in a 104-run win in the third ODI. She then made 58 and took 1/51 from nine overs to help square the series 2–2. The last match was washed out and Nitschke ended with 144 runs at 36.00 and four wickets at 29.75 at an economy rate of 4.10. The teams returned to Australia for the one-off T20 match, and Nitschke took 3/16 from three overs and then scored 54 not out as Australia won under the Duckworth Lewis method. In a warm-up matches against England ahead of the World Cup in New South Wales and Canberra, Nitschke made six and took 2/31 from eight overs.

After the series, Nitschke played in the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand, starting with five ODIs in Australia. Nitschke played in all of the matches and opened the batting, scoring 172 runs at 43.00 and regular got the hosts off to a strong start, passing 30 in each match bar the third. In the second match, she took 2/7 from seven overs and top-scored with 38 in a four-wicket win. In the third match at the Junction Oval, she took 3/31 from ten overs to seal a 102-run win and an unassailable 3–0 series lead. Nitschke took 2/29 from ten overs in the next match and made 44 not out in an unbroken opening stand of 163 with Leah Poulton to guide Australia to a ten-wicket win. In the final match, she hit 43, and then took 4/24 and two catches to help secure a 103-run win. Nitschke ended the series with 11 wickets at 10.36 and an economy rate of 2.85.

Australia then swept New Zealand 3–0 in the ODIs in New Zealand. In the first match, Nitschke took 1/12 from six overs and made 51 as Australia were able to scrape home by two wickets. The series then ended with matches on consecutive days in Invercargill. Nitschke was attacked on the first day, conceding 18 runs from three overs without taking a wicket, before opening the batting and scoring 113 not out of the tourists' 4/256 in a six-wicket win, registering her maiden ODI century. She made six and was wicketless in a six-wicket win in the final match. Nitschke ended the series with 170 runs at 85.00 and took 1/45 from 13 overs.

Nitschke was part of the 2010 World Twenty20 winning team in the West Indies and played in all of Australia's matches.

Australia batted first in the final against New Zealand, and Nitschke made only three runs from five balls before being trapped lbw by Sian Ruck, leaving Australia at 1/10 after 2.2 overs, and they later fell to be 3/20 in the sixth over, and 6/72 in the 16th over, before ending on 8/106. During the run-chase, Nitschke was the most economical Australian bowler, taking 1/10 from her four overs, dismissing Rachel Priest in the middle of the innings to leave New Zealand were at 5/36 after 11 overs, leaving them with 71 runs to score from the last 54 balls. Australian went on to win by three runs to take the tournament.

During the 2009 World Cup, Nitschke made 275 runs at 39.28 and took seven wickets at 28.14 at an economy rate of 3.45. Her best performance was an 87 and 3/43 in a group match against South Africa as Australia eventually came fourth after losing the third-place playoff to India.

In the inaugural Women's World Twenty20 in England in 2009, Nitschke made 130 runs at 32.50 and took five wickets at 17.80 at an economy rate of 5.56 as Australia were eliminated in the semi-finals by the hosts.

Nitschke won the Belinda Clark Award in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Nitschke was selected for Australia's team for the inaugural Women's World Twenty20 held in England in 2009. The Australians hosted New Zealand for a three-match series in tropical Darwin at the beginning of June before the World Cup, and Nitschke played in the first two matches, making 1 and 25 and taking 1/27 and 1/14, both from four overs. Arriving in the northern hemisphere she made 16 and was hit for 18 runs from two overs in the team's only warm-up on English soil, a five-run win against the hosts.

Nitschke started the 2009–10 WNCL season with a series of strong batting performances. After finishing in the nineties in three previous WNCL innings, Nitschke broke through for her maiden century. After hitting 119 not out and 66 in the double-header against the Australian Capital Territory, she made 12 and 82 against Western Australia, before striking her second century in five innings, 109 against Queensland. The centuries set up wins by 34 runs and two wickets respectively. Nitschke was not able to maintain her form in the remaining five matches, scoring 0, 3, 57, 0 and 38 to end the season with 486 runs at 54.00. After taking three wickets in each of the first two pairs of matches, Nitschke went wicketless in two matches against Queensland before totalling four wickets in the last four matches against Victoria and New South Wales. Her best figures of 2/26 came in the final match against New South Wales and she ended with 10 wickets at 36.50 and an economy rate of 4.10, a poor bowling season by her standards. South Australia won only two of then ten matches and missed the finals.

During the 2009–10 season, there was a full T20 domestic tournament was introduced. In six matches, Nitschke scored 161 runs at 26.83 with a best of 67 against Tasmania, and took four wickets at 31.00 at an economy rate of 5.20. South Australia won two of their six matches and missed the final.

The 2008–09 Australian season started with a tour by India. Nitschke started well in two warm-up matches against the Australian Under-21 team, making 57 and 56 and totalling 2/63 from 13 overs. The opposition could not dismiss here; she retired in the first match to give other batsmen an opportunity and retired hurt in the next match.

By her standards, Nitschke's performances in the 2008–09 WNCL were mediocre. In eight matches, she scored 181 runs at 22.62 and took five wickets at 51.20 with an economy rate of 3.71. In the third match of the season, she took 2/30 from ten overs and made 41 in a 45-run defeat to Victoria. This was the only time that shse took more than one wicket in a match. In the sixth match against New South Wales, she made her top-score for the series, 62. South Australia won by 39 runs despite Nitschke being hit for 42 runs from seven wicketless overs, part of a run of three wicketless matches. South Australia did not make the final. In two T20 matches, she made 6 and 0 and took a total of 2/49 from six overs.

Australia hosted the Rose Bowl series held in tropical Darwin in July 2007, the middle of the southern hemisphere winter. Nitschke played in all five ODIs. In the first match, she took 2/29 from her ten overs and scored 27 in a seven-wicket win. She then took 3/34 in the third match, which Australia won by six wickets. Nitschke made 47 in the final match but it was not enough to prevent a four-wicket defeat. She ended the series with 112 runs at 22.40 and took eight wickets at 21.12 at an economy rate of 3.52. In the T20 match that preceded the series, she took 1/13 from two overs and was out for 12 as Australia scraped home by one run.

Nitschke started the 2007–08 WNCL season by taking two wickets and being run out in each of the two matches against New South Wales. She then went wicketless in both matches against Queensland while conceding 2.64 runs per over. Up to this point Nitschke had made only 71 runs and South Australia had only won one of their four matches. In the next match, Nitschke took 2/17 from six overs and top-scored with 61 in a seven-wicket win over Western Australia. In the penultimate round-robin match, she hit 74 and took 2/31 in a 140-run win over Victoria. Although South Australia succumbed to the same team the next day, they had won four of their eight matches, and this was enough to qualify them in second place for the final against New South Wales. However, inclement weather washed out the final entirely and New South Wales were awarded the WNCL for placing first in the round-robin phase. Nitschke ended the series with 250 runs at 31.25 and took ten wickets at 25.20 at an economy rate of 3.64. In two T20 matches for her state, Nitschke made 24 runs at 12.00 and totalled 2/34 from six overs.

The following 2006–07 season started with the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand, which the Australians hosted at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. The five ODIs were preceded by a T20 match, a tie in which Nitschke did not play. She again started in the lower-order after failing to capitalise on her previous opportunity against India, but gradually worked her way up the order from No. 10 to No. 5 by the end of the series.

Nitschke started the 2006–07 WNCL with 93 and 1/38, setting up a 12-run win over Western Australia. In the final match of her campaign, she took 3/24 and scored 34 in a seven-wicket win over Queensland. She missed the last two matches against New South Wales and South Australia did not make the finals. She ended with 155 runs at 31.00 and took six wickets at 30.66 with an economy rate of 3.14 from five matches.

Nitschke made her Test debut in the subsequent tour of England, and showed her batting ability at international level, scoring 81 and 88 in the two Tests. She then took a record 7/24 in an ODI at Kidderminster. She returned home for the 2005–06 WNCL, scoring 287 runs and taking nine wickets and was retained for the home series against India and New Zealand, again used in the lower order. At the end of the 2006–07 season, the Australians played in a quadrangular tournament in Chennai and Nitschke batted in the upper-order for the first time, making 200 runs at 28.57 and top-scoring with 81, hermaiden ODI half-century, as Australia defeated New Zealand in the final. Since then, Nitschke has batted in the upper-order. During the 2007–08 season, Nitschke made three ODI half-centuries. At the start of the 2008–09 season, Nitschke struck 94 in a seven-wicket win over India, a new highest ODI score.

The late-season form was enough for Nitschke to be retained for the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand held in Western Australia before the Australians departed to South Africa for the 2005 World Cup. Nitschke played in only the third and final ODI against New Zealand, taking 1/16 from her nine overs as the hosts took victory.

In the northern hemisphere summer of 2005, Australia toured England and Nitschke established her batting at international level on this campaign. Australia started with a stopover in Ireland, and only the second of the three ODIs was not washed out entirely. Nitschke took 4/15 in a 240-run win. Australia played two Tests in England and Nitschke made her debut in the First Test at County Ground in Hove, Sussex. She became the 146th woman to play Test cricket for Australia. Nitschke was listed to bat at No. 10 as the visitors won the toss and batted first. However, she was soon in action as Australia collapsed to be 8/191 on the first day. Joining fellow bowler Julie Hayes at the crease, Nitschke helped take the score to 236 before her partner was out for 57. Last batsman Clea Smith came in and helped Nitschke to add 92 before Australia reached stumps at 9/328 with Nitschke on 70 not out. The next morning, they added a further 27 before Smith was out for 42, ending a rapid final-wicket partnership of 119 from only 101 minutes. The last two wickets put on 164 runs in 159 minutes and Nitschke ended on 81 not out with 13 fours and a six, the top-score of the innings, from 144 balls. After reaching her half-century in 111 balls, Nitschke accelerated, scoring 31 from her last 34 balls, 24 of which came in boundaries.

In the opening match of the 2005–06 WNCL, Nitschke struck 92 to help set up a five-wicket win over Queensland. In the third match, against Victoria, she took 4/11 and then scored 33 as South Australia scraped home to a one-wicket victory over Victoria. However, she failed to make an impact in the two matches against the reigning champions New South Wales, making 12 and 1 and failing to take a wicket as South Australia lost both matches. In the penultimate match of the season, she made an unbeaten 60 in a nine-wicket win over Western Australia. She then took 2/25 from ten overs and scored 30 to help secure a three-wicket win. South Australia won four of their eight matches and failed to reach the finals series, but Nitschke was productive, scoring 287 runs at 41.00 and taking nine wickets at 32.44 at an economy rate of 4.42.

During the 2004–05 WNCL season, Nitschke scored 144 runs at 36.00 and took ten wickets at 17.50 and was rewarded with selection in the Australian team for a One Day International (ODI) series in India. She did not have a successful initiation to international cricket and was in and out of the team, ending her debut series with 10 runs and a total of 1/99. Playing as a specialist bowler and batting in the lower-order, Nitschke was retained for the 2005 World Cup in South Africa. After being overlooked for the first two matches, she played in the remaining matches and took 11 wickets at 8.27 to establish herself as an international bowler. She claimed 2/14 in the final as Australia defeated India to win the World Cup without defeat. She only batted once because Australia's strong line-up was rarely threatened, scoring one run.

In her first three WNCL matches in 2004–05, Nitschke scored 25 not out, 55 and 19, and took a total of 1/81 from 25 overs. This was enough to gain her selection for Australia for the first time, for a seven-match One Day International (ODI) tour to India. Nitschke was used as a specialist bowler on the dry, spin-friendly pitches of India, batting in the tail. She made her debut in the first match of the series in Mysore, taking 0/19 from six overs in a 14-run win; she was not required to bat despite the loss of six wickets. In the second game, she took her maiden international wicket, ending with 1/24 from four overs in a three-wicket win, scoring an unbeaten one from six balls as Australia reached their target with four balls remaining. In the third match in Mumbai, Nitschke made a duck and was hit for 13 runs in her first two overs and removed from the attack as the hosts won by six wickets, and was dropped for the next match. She was recalled after one match on the sidelines but then hit for 17 runs in two overs in the fifth ODI and dropped again, before taking 0/26 from seven overs in the final match and scoring 8 from 27 balls, trying to hold up the tail as Australia were dismissed for 77 and suffered an 88-run defeat. Nitschke's debut ODI series was not a success; she ended with 10 runs at 5.00 with a strike rate of 24.39 and a solitary wicket at 99.00 at an economy rate of 4.71, a high figure for women's cricket.

The following season, Nitschke did not bowl at all, and scored 112 runs at 16.00 with a top-score of 27 against Western Australia. South Australia won four of their eight matches and did not reach the final. In 2002–03, Nitschke began bowling on a regular basis and her batting also improved. In the second match of the season, she took 3/18 to help secure a ten-run win over the defending champions New South Wales, and later made an unbeaten 92 in a 132-run win over Western Australia, more than doubling her previous best score in the WNCL. She took 2/18 from ten overs in the final match of the season against Victoria, helping to secure a 38-run win. South Australia won five of their eight matches and did not make the final, but Nitschke scored 190 runs at 27.14 and took seven wickets at 16.57 with an economy rate of 2.57. In 2003–04, Nitschke made 136 runs at 27.20 and took six wickets at 35.66 at an economy rate of 3.24 in a consistent but unspectactular WNCL season; her two best scores of 36 and 35, both unbeaten, came in two wins against Western Australia, and she never took more than one wicket per match. South Australia won four of seven completed matches and did not reach the final.

Nitschke made her senior debut in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) for South Australia at the relatively old age of 24 in 2000–01. She started her career as a specialist batsman and had little effect in her first two seasons, scoring 191 runs at 12.73. Having only taken one wicket to this point, she began bowling regularly and took 13 at 25.38 over the next two seasons and scored 326 runs at 27.16.

Nitschke made her debut for South Australia at the relatively old age of 24, playing in all of her state's eight matches in the 2000–01 Women's National Cricket League (WNCL). In her debut match against reigning champions New South Wales, Nitschke made a solitary run before being run out as South Australia lost by seven wickets. At this stage of her career, Nitschke was effectively a specialist batsman, and she took her only wicket of the season on the following day, taking 1/9 from three overs—the only time she bowled during the season—and scoring five as New South Wales won again. Nitschke did not pass 15 until the sixth match of the season, scoring 43 to help guide South Australia to a six-wicket win over Queensland. She ended the season with 79 runs at 9.87.

Shelley Nitschke (born 3 December 1976) is a female cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. A left-handed batsman and left arm orthodox spinner, she was one of the leading all-rounders in the world until her retirement in 2011.

In the next match against South Africa, Nitschke was prominent with both bat and ball as Australia batted first. After Villani was out in the first over, Nitschke and new batsman Poulton counter-attacked. They brought up Australia's 50 in 33 balls, scoring 41 from 27 balls. Poulton was out for 39 after a stand of 58 runs in 37 balls, and Nitschke was eventually out for the top-score of 44 from 32 balls, including seven fours. This left the score at 3/101 after 11.2 overs, but Australia were unable to capitalise, and were bowled out for 155 in the last over after losing 6/16. Nitschke then took 2/21 from her four overs, removing Trisha Chetty and Susan Benade in the 11th and 13th overs as Australia completed a 22-run win. She was named the player of the match for her effort.