No rest for wicketkeeper as Healy switches focus

Alyssa Healy’s delayed arrival in the Caribbean may have seen her caught napping during last Sunday’s warm-up game, but the Australian wicketkeeper says she’s ready to hit the ground running when the one-day international series against the West Indies begins on Thursday.

While the rest of the Australian players returned home for the short break between the end of the women’s Ashes on July 31 and their departure for the Caribbean on August 28, Healy stayed on in the United Kingdom to play as a marquee international for Yorkshire Diamonds in England’s Super League.

It was her first appearance in the domestic 20-over competition as she turned out for Yorkshire Diamonds.

With the Diamonds’ season wrapping up late last week, Healy arrived in to Antigua on Saturday afternoon, in time for Australia’s twin intra-squad warm-up matches on Sunday and still well ahead of Thursday’s opening ODI.

Image Id: 05E8215306D8494C9D7C08CF3BBB759B Image Caption: Australia batter Alyssa Healy in action for the Yorkshire Diamonds \\ Getty

Flying directly from England, with just an eight-hour flight and a five-hour time difference, means the adjustment to Caribbean time is an easier one.

"I definitely feel it later in the day, but it’s more just the heat that’s got me … but all good, I’m ready to go for the series," Healy told cricket.com.au.

"(It’s important) to get over here and get used to the conditions, being September over here it’s very hot and humid, it’s hurricane weather but it’s nice to be able to get here and hit the ground running and make sure we’re ready to go for Thursday."

The heat and time difference may have got the better of the star wicketkeeper late on Sunday when she briefly nodded off on the sidelines, but Healy hopes a return to her happy Caribbean hunting ground bodes well for the upcoming one-day series.

The powerful right-hander was Player of the Tournament as Australia took out the T20 World Cup in the West Indies last November, striking 225 runs at 56.25 across five innings through the tournament.

"I haven’t put too much thought into that to be honest, but it’s nice to come back here," Healy said.

"It’s a great place to travel and to tour.

"We’ve got a really big series and we’ve had some success here last year, but that doesn’t mean too much, it’s a tough West Indies side we’re going to face, they’ve got a few injuries but they’re always really good on home turf."

Healy’s time at Yorkshire was not her most profitable period with the bat – passing fifty on just one occasion – but she does not believe form is the issue.

"I really enjoyed the Super League, it was a really good learning experience for me playing in their domestic cricket over there and I was really well looked after at Yorkshire," she said.

"(Playing there) definitely helped me travel wise, I hate planes and hate flying and hate lugging my bags around so for me it was an easy option to stay and keep playing and have a shorter flight here.

"It was nice to keep playing, I still feel like I’m hitting the ball all right, I’m just making some poor decisions.

"(Playing there) has helped me maintain the ball striking I’ve had (recently) but hopefully come this series I can make good decisions."                 

Australia’s first one-day international against the West Indies will be played at Antigua’s Coolidge Cricket Ground on Thursday at 2pm local time (4am Friday AEST).

Fans in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea can stream the series live and free on cricket.com.au and the CA Live App, while fans elsewhere can watch on the WICB YouTube channel.

CommBank Tour of the West Indies

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

West Indies ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Hayley Matthews (vc), Reniece Boyce, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Shamilia Connell, Stacy Ann King, Natasha McLean, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi

One-Day Internationals*
*ICC Women's Championship matches

September 5: First ODI, Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua

September 8: Second ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

September 11: Third ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

Twenty20 Internationals

September 14: First T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 16: Second T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 18: Third T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados