Women’s cricket tons of fun with plenty of big hits
ALYSSA Healy puts it plest. Now that we’re professionals, watch us fences.
Among the most recognised players in Australian women’s cricket, Healy insists the WBBL landscape has changed forever after a bumper opening weekend of record totals, rat- simpaid clear ings bonanzas and repeated ‘ Watch The Ball’ warnings which, on big screens around the ground, really do matter.
Tearing up North Sydney Oval like the Bears did back in, well, let’s say 1922, Healey’s Sixers scored impressive wins on both days of the opening weekend, with the diminutive opener herself blasting a quick- fire 49 yesterday to beat arch rivals Thunder by six wickets. Better, the win came only 24 hours after the reigning Big Bash premiers, at the same ground, set a new league record 4- 242 against Melbourne Stars.
And that total came only hours after Thunder became the first women’s side to break the magic 200 mark, in the opener against Melbourne Renegades. Which suggests everything we know about WBBL, it’s changing right?
“Girls are clearing the boundary now with ease,” Healy insisted. “They’re also batting really freely ... everyone is backing themselves more which is great to see.
“I’m not too sure if 200 will become a regular score but our coach had always said he wanted us to be the first. And while Thunder pipped us by a few hours, we were then able to blow that score out of the water.
“Most of the girls playing Big Bash are professional cricketers. So they can spend the time that they didn’t have previously in the gym … working on their batting or bowling, everything.”