Star seam-bowling all-rounder Annabel Sutherland says she has found her optimal rhythm in T20 cricket and is eager to carry that momentum into Australia's packed domestic and international summer. The 24-year-old made the remarks at the launch of Play Cricket Week in Sydney on Monday, 31 August.

Player of the Tournament at The Hundred

Sutherland's confidence is well-founded. She was named Player of the Tournament at the recently concluded Hundred women's competition in England, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 315 runs at an average of 63, while also claiming 11 wickets for Sunrisers Leeds, who finished as runners-up.

'I feel like I'm really enjoying my cricket. I had a really great time in the Hundred. It's an awesome tournament, so I think that helps, and then the other thing is just contributing in both phases of the game. I feel like I've got a good sense of where I'm at with both ball and bat,' Sutherland told reporters.

T20 World Cup Glory at Lord's

The Hundred stint followed Australia's T20 World Cup triumph at Lord's in July, a campaign Sutherland described as defined by composure under pressure. She credited captain Sophie for setting the tone throughout the tournament.

'We were so calm and composed, and credit to Sophie for the way that she drove that. T20 cricket is so unpredictable … there are a lot of things outside your control. But I just think the way we handled it as a group — pretty much dominated every game, which is a little bit unheard of in that format — and to cap it off with a win against England at Lord's, it was pretty special,' she said.

Lessons from Back-to-Back World Cup Exits

Sutherland acknowledged that consecutive semi-final defeats — in the 2024 T20 World Cup edition and the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup — forced the squad into hard internal conversations. 'When a team's winning, you roll on and let the momentum take you forward, but when you're losing, then you start asking a few questions internally. We certainly addressed the World Cups as a group, and flagged a couple of things, particularly the way that we handled pressure in those big moments,' she said. That self-reflection, she argued, was central to Australia's dominant run in this year's T20 World Cup.

What's Ahead: WBBL, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Beyond

On the domestic front, Sutherland will captain the Melbourne Stars for a second consecutive season in WBBL Season 12, this time under new head coach Richard Pryah. Internationally, Australia face a home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, followed by the inaugural T20 Champions Trophy in February and a multi-format tour of South Africa. With form and confidence firmly on her side, Sutherland looks well-placed to be central to each of those campaigns.