After a history-making end to the 2019-2020 cricket season for the Australian Women’s Cricket Team, spin bowler Georgia Wareham is ready for the next challenge, facing off against New Zealand in the Commonwealth Bank Women’s T20 and ODI Series.

Wareham and her side will kick-start the 2020-2021 season against trans-Tasman rivals on home soil, hosted at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

But, this isn’t the young star’s first big opportunity. Only six months ago, the 21-year-old was an integral part of her side’s ICC World Cup win over India in front of a record 85,000 fans at the MCG on International Women’s Day.

And this game is one etched into her memories forever.

“It’s hard to describe. We didn’t want to let the occasion become too much. We wanted to focus on the game,” she said.

“But towards the back end of our bowling innings we were going quite well. We all knew we were going to win the game.”

Wareham highlighted a particular moment when her side halted to take in the history around them.

“It was cool to see everyone with their torches out at the ground. That was when everyone stopped for a second, looked around and appreciated what we had done as female cricketers,” the 21-year-old said.

However, her impressive resume doesn’t stop there. Wareham was also the youngest player signed in the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League in 2018 with the Melbourne Renegades, now a spot she will continue to fill in 2020. 

With the moderated WBBL being held in a Sydney Hub for all 59 games, the spin bowler is preparing for this new encounter.

And the star is grateful for her experience in the competition so early on, which has prepared her for 2020 season, which kicks off in October.

“Being exposed to world-class players so early on in my [WBBL] career has set me up pretty well. I wouldn’t be here now without having that,” she said.

But before her return to the WBBL and Renegades camp, Wareham has turned her focus to the six matches scheduled against New Zealand.

 “It helps that we have a lot of New Zealanders in our Big Bash. So, we see a lot of each other play. We have a good read on everyone, but that’s what makes the game so competitive,” Wareham said.

And the youngster knows there’s a lot at stake come game day, with New Zealand being the first international team across all sports to be competing on Australian soil since the COVID-19 lockdown.

“They’ve got such a strong top order and their bowlers are strong. They always bring that competitiveness.”

The Commonwealth Bank T20 Series spans over three days, September 26, 27 and 30. The side then gets a two-day break before tackling the One Day International Series, which will be held on October 3, 5 and 7.

The world looks a lot different than it did when Wareham and the Australian Women’s Cricket Team came out ICC World Cup winners back in March. But the leg spinner is taking this new-world challenge in her stride, excited to show on-lookers what she’s been training for.

“It’s going to be really important to get these games underway and make it possible for everyone to see it somehow. Whether it be on TV or streaming,” the bowler said.

“I think [women’s sport] is only getting better and better. We saw that with the World Cup.”

You can catch Wareham and the Australian Women's Cricket Team take on New Zealand in the first International series of the summer, with all the action on Channel 7 and Kayo.