Erin Osborne - 2009 World Cup and World Twenty20

2009 World Cup and World Twenty20

In two warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup, Osborne made took 2/31 from nine overs and 1/0 from 2.3 overs against England and Sri Lanka respectively. She was included in the team for the opening match against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval, taking 2/37 from her ten overs as Australia conceded 205. She did not bat as they fell short of the target. She then claimed 1/35 from ten overs in Australia's must-win match against South Africa as the hosts avoided elimination with a 61-run victory. She then batted in the World Cup for the first time, in last group match, before taking 2/22 from ten overs as Australia defeated West Indies to reach the next round.

Osborne was left out of Australia's first match of the next phase against India, which they lost by 16 runs. She was recalled and took 1/22 against Pakistan and 1/41 against England, bowling ten overs in both games. Osborne was not required to bat as the Australians won both matches but it was not enough to place them in the top two nations and qualify for the final. They faced India in the third place playoff and Osborne fell for six. The hosts were all out for 142 and India reached the target with three wickets in hand despite Osborne's economical return of 2/21 from nine overs. Osborne ended the World Cup with nine wickets at 19.77 at an economy rate of 3.01; in all but one match, she was more economical than the Australian team as a whole. She also scored 10 runs at 10.00.

Osborne was selected for the 2009 World Twenty20 in England and Australia hosted New Zealand for three T20 matches in tropical Darwin during the southern hemisphere winter before the teams flew to the tournament. She took 1/21 from four overs in her only match, a 32-run Australian victory. Once the Australians were in England, Osborne took 1/14 from three overs against the hosts in the only pre-tournament practice match. Osborne did not play any of the three pool matches in the tournament or the semi-final where Australia were eliminated in the semi-final by England.

Australia stayed in England for a bilateral series against the hosts, who were the reigning world champions in both ODIs and T20s, after the end of the World Twenty20. Osborne was drought in and took 2/24 from four overs as Australia upset England in the only T20 by 34 runs after scoring 3/151. She was played in the first two ODIs held at Ford County Ground, Chelmsford, taking a total of 0/39 from eight overs and making 1 and 11 not out in comfortable English victories by nine wickets and 53 runs. She was left out of the remaining three matches; England won all the matches except the last, which was washed out. Osborne was left out of the team for the one-off Test.