Cricket Australia has awarded maiden central contracts to pace bowlers Chloe Ainsworth and Lucy Hamilton as part of its 18-player women’s contract list for the 2026-27 season.
Allrounder Nicola Carey also returns to the national setup after previously declining a deal in 2023. The announcement sees three new additions to the list, while Tayla Vlaeminck, Tess Flintoff, and retired former captain Alyssa Healy do not feature this time.
Three New Faces Join the Contract List
Cricket Australia announced an 18-player contract list that has seen three additions from the previous year, with Tasmania allrounder Nicola Carey also returning to a national contract.
Ainsworth is an uncapped Western Australia and Perth Scorchers allrounder, while Hamilton is a left-arm pacer who made her debut across all three formats during March.
Who Is Lucy Hamilton?
Hamilton earned her first national deal after making her debut across all formats in the space of just 23 days in March. The 19-year-old left-arm quick captained Australia Under-19s at the 2025 World Cup.
Hamilton is viewed as likely to be part of the T20 World Cup squad, which will be named next month.
Who Is Chloe Ainsworth?
In the WNCL this season for Western Australia, it was Ainsworth’s batting that stood out as she made 194 runs at an average of 97.00, including a maiden century, while claiming three wickets.
However, national selector Shawn Flegler noted that Ainsworth is currently recovering from a foot injury, and her elevation is viewed as a longer-term investment rather than an immediate call-up.
Nicola Carey Returns
Allrounder Nicola Carey, who previously declined a deal in 2023, was recalled earlier this year to face India and was also part of the recent tour of the West Indies. Her strong performances over those two series earned her a place back on the contract list.
Who Has Missed Out?
Alyssa Healy, who retired from international cricket, along with Tayla Vlaeminck and Tess Flintoff, are not retained from last year’s group.
Flegler confirmed that Vlaeminck and Flintoff remain options for selection and that Cricket Australia will continue to support their development.
Full 2026-27 Women’s Contract List
Chloe Ainsworth, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
What Lies Ahead for Australia
Australia’s first assignment of the 2026-27 contract period will be the T20 World Cup in England. That will be the first of four major T20I tournaments in quick succession, with the inaugural Women’s T20 Champions Trophy to be staged in Sri Lanka in June 2027, followed by the 2028 LA Olympics and 2028 T20 World Cup in Pakistan.
Following the World Cup, Australia will host Bangladesh in three ODIs and three T20Is in October, before a three-game one-day tour of Sri Lanka in December, a home series against New Zealand in February-March, and a multi-format tour of South Africa in March-April.
