Hard-hitting Healy praised for form

Few players in the world could lay claim to being in the form that Alyssa Healy is in right now.

The Australia wicketkeeper-batter smashed the fastest half-century at a Women’s World T20 tournament, the fastest by a Southern Stars player and the second-fastest of all time during her team’s emphatic win over Ireland on Sunday, reaching the milestone in just 21 deliveries.

It was her fifth half-century in her last seven T20I innings – a fact made all the more incredible when you consider that before the first of those, scored against New Zealand on October 1, she hadn’t scored a T20I fifty since 2012.

She struck back-to-back fifties in that series against the White Ferns, knocks of 57 and 67, followed by scores of 59, 6 and 67no in a three-match series against Pakistan.

The Sydney Sixers star fell two runs short of yet another fifty in Australia’s first World T20 game against Pakistan, but there was no stopping her on Sunday when she brought up the milestone with a maximum.

From Australia’s last seven matches Healy is averaging 72 – runs that have come at a strike rate of 156.52 – and the 28-year-old’s form looks to be key to her team’s title hopes.

“It was lovely to have a small opportunity in the middle, but I think even more impressive was Alyssa Healy's batting today,” Ellyse Perry said after Australia sealed a nine-wicket win over Ireland on Sunday. 

“Nice to come out in the end, and stand up at the other end and watch Midge (Healy) hit the ball in the way she currently is.”

The only female player to have scored a T20I fifty faster than Healy is New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, who reached the milestone from just 18 balls in 2007.

In 2018, Healy has scored 457 T20I runs at 41.57 from 13 innings, streets ahead of her closest teammates in Meg Lanning (311 runs) and Beth Mooney (305).

She’s fifth on the overall T20I run scorers for 2018, but boasts the highest strike rate of the lot, illustrating how damaging she’s been at the top of the order. 

“It's a bit of see ball, hit ball at the moment,” Healy reflected following the win over Pakistan.

“I'm just really enjoying the role at the top of the order. 

“It's something that I love doing back home in domestic cricket, and it's something that I've really relished over the last 12 months for the green and gold.

“I'm really enjoying it. It's such a fantastic batting lineup to be a part of and to go out there and have a free license to take on that power play.

“I'm really enjoying that and hopefully I can continue that throughout the tournament.”

Australia have one day off before their next World T20 group stage match against New Zealand, beginning 8pm Tuesday local time (11am Wednesday AEDT).

Fox Sports will broadcast every match of the Women’s World T20, while the Nine Network will televise Australia’s matches.

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

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

November 9: Australia beat Pakistan by 52 runs

November 11: Australia v Ireland, Province Stadium

November 13: Australia v New Zealand, Province Stadium

November 17: Australia v India, Province Stadium

November 22: Semi-finals, Sir Vivian Richards Ground, Antigua

November 24: Final, Sir Vivian Richards Ground