It’s almost three years since Alyssa Healy powered Australia to World Cup glory in 2022 in Christchurch, taking down their arch-rivals England in a high-scoring final.
Talking on the Willow Talk Podcast, the veteran Australian batter shared some insight into her innings and how she had to fight off cramps on her way to an incredible 170, which set up the Australians for their seventh ODI World Cup win.
Asked about when she felt like it was her day and she would make it count, Healy spoke about having to navigate a tough spell from the English bowlers, Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole early on and once they saw the new ball off, Healy felt confident.
“Once I got through the first ten (overs). So that, like I said, there’s Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole, new ball – like two of the best that’ve done the game for England. Rach (Rachael Haynes) and I knew that if we just got through the first ten, set ourselves up, we were like 40/0 after ten (Australia were 37/0), which in the modern-day game is not overly quick.
“Once we got through that, we were like ‘we’re set, we’re sweet.’ I didn’t know it was a 170 moment, but I thought generally I get to 60 and get the wobbles. So, to keep going, for me, was the most impressive part.”
Opening the innings, Healy and Haynes gave the Australians an incredible platform, putting up 160 runs for the opening partnership inside 30 overs. Healy almost carried her bat through the innings, getting out in the business end of the innings in the 46th over. The Australian batter spoke about how she had to physically fight with herself to see off cramps in her forearms to continue on.
“(Because) I had hand cramps, my forearms were cramping, and my hands weren’t gripping the bat properly and I couldn’t open my hands, so they were stuck. It was remarkable and the Poms (British players) were genuinely pissing themselves, because they were like ‘What’s wrong?’ and I’m like ‘I can’t open my hands’.
‘Danni Wyatt, I think was standing at point, absolutely pissing herself, because after every ball I’d be like trying to peel my hands apart and then grab the bat again. So yeah, like the resilience of my forearms,” laughed off Healy.
Healy’s 170 is often in the mix for one of the greatest ODI knocks in the women’s game, with her innings helping Australia set up a massive total of 356/5 in the World Cup final. Nat Sciver-Brunt fought valiantly, scoring a brilliant 148* in the chase but England were bowled out for 285, handing Australia a big 71 run win to pick up the ODI World Cup for the seventh time.
Healy was not only declared as the Player of the Match but also Player of the Series, finishing the World Cup as the leading run-scorer with 509 runs from the nine innings at an average of 56.55.
The Australians will head to India later this year for the Women’s World Cup 2025 to defend their title.
Loves all things female cricket
