Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Shelley Nitschke is a former Test, ODI and T20I player for Australia and currently a coach in the WBBL.
Nitschke made her debut for South Australia in 2000/1 and it soon became apparent that this left handed allrounder was a handy middle order batter and a canny slow bowler. Her international debut came in 2004/5 when she was selected in the Australian team to tour India. She played in six of the seven ODIs but was used sparingly by the captain Belinda Clark, due to the overall strength of the team.
Nitschke played in the World Cup in 2005, her economical bowling becoming a real feature of her play, no more so than in the final where she took 2-14 from nine overs, including the wicket of India’s captain, Mithali Raj. She made one run for the whole tournament, batting just once.
Selected for the Ashes tour of 2005 in England, Shelley made her Test debut at Hove. Australia was 9-236 when Nitschke, batting at ten, was joined by another debutant, Clea Smith. When Smith was trapped in front by Kathryn Brunt for 42, Australia’s innings ended with 355. Nitschke was 81 not out and with Smith recorded the highest tenth wicket stand in women’s Tests of 119 runs. The record still stands today.
In six Test matches, 295 runs at 32.77 including two half centuries and a high score of 88 not out. She took 12 wickets at 27.91 with a best of 3-59.
In the ODI arena 2047 runs at 34.11 across 80 matches, with a high score of 113 not out. She took 98 wickets 22.03 with a best of 7-24.
Her skills as an allrounder made Shelley Nitschke an excellent T20 player and over 36 games she 776 runs at 23.51, but importantly, a strike rate of 105.72. She took 43 wickets at 16.23 with a best of 4-21. She also played 24 matches for the Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL and has now taken all of that knowledge and experience to the coaching role at the Perth Scorchers.
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