Australia roar to World Cup glory
HOLLYWOOd came to women’s cricket yesterday, complete with A-list singer Katy Perry, a crowd of 86,174 at the MCG and a movie script ending. On International Women’s day, too.
Alyssa Healy, niece of former Australia wicketkeeper Ian, produced a brilliant 39-ball 75 as Australia beat India by 85 runs in the final to win their fifth T20 World Cup. Healy was watched by husband Mitchell Starc, who flew home from South Africa early to cheer on the team.
‘I don’t think anything’s ever going to top that,’ said 29-year-old Healy, who danced on stage with Perry and her team mates at the post-final concert.
‘I hope there are girls in this side who are going to experience that for a long period of time. But for me I never thought that we would get the opportunity to do something as cool as we did today and play in front of almost 90,000 at the MCG in a home World Cup final. It’s a dream come true.’
Perry performed before the match too, backed by 14 dancing cricket bats and hundreds of schoolgirls holding ‘GRL PWR’ signs. She sang her hit Roar and then the Australian team went out and roared themselves.
Healy was dropped on nine by fellow opener Shafali Verma at cover and made sure India would pay. She scored consecutive sixes off spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad and, later, three sixes in succession off the hapless medium pacer Shikha Pandey to send the terraces into delirium. It was a record for the fastest 50 in an ICC final.
Asked who had the upper hand now in the family Healy laughed: ‘One hundred per cent me. I’ve been a part of a lot of successful World Cup campaigns now but to do it here on home soil was always going to be incredibly difficult to do. I guess Mitch and I are 1-1 on that stage.’