Healy sets sights on another T20 show
ALYSSA Healy has only average eyesight – the glasses behind the stumps in Antigua proved that – but her Twenty20 vision is supreme.
Australia’s run machine can see a fourth World T20 women’s crown after she led her team into the final with a fourth crucial knock in as many games in yesterday’s semi-final win over the West Indies.
The victory put Australia through to tomorrow morning’s decider against rivals England, in a bid to restock their trophy cabinet after dropping the World T20 in 2016 and one-day World Cup last year.
“I’d be lying if I sat here and said we haven’t got scars after the last couple of World Cups,” said Healy who now has 203 runs for the tournament.
“To be ranked No.1 in the world and not have a trophy is sort of something we were looking to rectify. There’s a bit of an aura around this group at the moment and there’s just something really special building. We’ve got one more huge game to go.
“To play in front of a crowd like that, that is 99 per cent going for the West Indies, we sort of thrive off that. We love being the underdogs.”
It was another momentumdriving innings from Healy at the top of the order (46 coming off 38 balls) and a late-innings cameo from Rachael Haynes (25 off 15) which set up Australia’s strong total of 5-142.
The bowlers then combined to dismantle the Windies, with Ellyse Perry taking 2-2 from two overs, sending danger pair Shemaine Campbelle (7) and Deandra Dottin (6) packing.
The end result was a 71-run demolition.
Healy played after recovering from concussion she suffered just six days earlier. She was wearing glasses on the field for the first time.