360 degrees: Healy works on new tricks for NZ

Alyssa Healy has ambitions to take her spectacular batting to the next level as Australia set themselves for a return to cricket action against New Zealand this weekend.

The T20I world champions will take on the White Ferns in three 20-over fixtures in Brisbane from Saturday, quickly followed by three ODIs against the same opponent.

The squad came together in Brisbane on Monday after mandatory two-week quarantine periods for the New South Wales and Victoria contingents, and today were put through a lengthy centre-wicket session by head coach Matthew Mott at Redlands in Brisbane's east.

Healy, who has emerged as a genuine superstar of world cricket in recent years with her explosive top-order feats, revealed she has been working on ways to expand her shot-making to include the full circumference of the field.

"I actually did sit down with my batting coach and we discussed a few different things we could work on to, not necessarily jump up another level, but prepare as best as I could for this New Zealand attack, and you might see some different things from me in this series," the 30-year-old said.

"I've driven all the bowlers a little aggro over the last two weeks trying a few things in the nets, so we'll have to wait and see if they come out in the game; I'm not sure if I'm confident enough to do it yet, but the ultimate goal in cricket is to be able to play 360 (degrees), and for me there are some areas I'm not quite hitting, so I've been trying a few things to see if I can get the ball there."

During an hour-long stint in the middle with opening partner Beth Mooney today, Healy experimented only sparingly with the scoop shot that it seems she has been working on in the nets both with the Australian squad and her personal batting coach, Ash Squire, in Sydney during the enforced break from the game owing to COVID-19.

The right-hander, who is currently ranked fifth on the ICC T20I batting rankings, has piled on 1,201 runs in the format since the beginning of 2018; only India's Smriti Mandhana has scored more, though Healy's impressive average of 37.53 and incredible strike-rate of 153.58 puts her head and shoulders above her peers through that time. None of which is to say she is content to rest on her laurels.

"(The past six months) was a great opportunity for me to go back and work on some things that I hadn't touched for a while," she added.

"I'd obviously made some technical changes a couple of years ago and they paid off beautifully, but you never want to be standing still as a cricketer – you want to be growing and developing and there are always areas of your game you want to work on."

Australia will hone their preparations for Saturday's T20I series opener at a sold-out Allan Border Field with a couple of intra-squad practice matches at the same venue on Thursday.

CommBank T20I and ODI series

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Belinda Vakarewa

New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Natalie Dodd, Deanna Doughty, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jenson, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Watkin

All matches to be played at Brisbane's Allan Border Field

September 26: First T20, 1:50pm AEST

September 27: Second T20, 1:45pm AEST

September 30: Third T20, 1:45pm AEST

October 3: First ODI, 10:10am AEST

October 5: Second ODI, 10:10am AEST (11:10 AEDT)

October 7: Third ODI, 10:10am AEST (11:10 AEDT)

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