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ICC WOMEN'S WORLD T20

November 9, 2018

Alyssa Healy

Georgetown, Guyana

Australia - 165/5, Pakistan - 113/8

Q. Starting off with a win?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, it's fantastic. I've been saying all along that momentum is really key in T20 cricket. And I guess to carry on for a pretty convincing series against Pakistan in Malaysia, and then to come here and play all right against South Africa, but then play even better tonight, I think we're building really nicely.

Q. What did you make of the batting performance from yourself and your teammates today?
ALYSSA HEALY: I think if we're honest, we probably left a few out. I think they bowled really well in the middle period and sort of shut us down a little bit. In saying that, chasing 160, 170 on that wicket was never going to be easy. So I think batting lineup did a really good job in the end, but I think moving forward we'll look to push 180.

Q. Were there more runs in this pitch than you thought there might have been the other day or coming into the tournament?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, I think so. I think the other night sort of scared us off a little bit. When we played South Africa we were a bit worried about the conditions we were potentially going to get. But I guess watching the game before us today on the telly and watching Kaur just bomb them into the stands I think gave us a little bit of hope that the wicket was going to be pretty true, and that turned out to be the case. And it looks like a fantastic cricket wicket, and hopefully it will stay that way all four round games.

Q. Just in terms of how you felt out there, you seemed to be hitting them all over the ground. Talk about what your mindset was out there.
ALYSSA HEALY: It's a bit of see ball, hit ball at the moment. 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 powerplay and -- not as long as I can but really attack the opposition -- I'm really enjoying that and hopefully I can continue that throughout the tournament.

Q. Is it just that freedom, too? Your career is just blossomed now. Is it that freedom that you're embracing and why you're playing so well?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, I think so. I think I'm a better player now than what I was 12 months ago. I think I went away actually after the 50-over World Cup, there was a game against England in the round games, and we probably should have won that at the end of the day and we didn't. And I went back and looked at the innings that I played and realised there was a big area with the ground that I wasn't accessing. And if I had accessed that, potentially we would have won that round game and we would have been in the finals.

For me it was a real eye-opener and I went away and worked really hard and developed a sweet shot into my area and opened up a whole other area of the ground. And I'm really enjoying it at the moment. It's such a natural hockey swing for me. It's just allowed me to manipulate fields a little bit more. And then I can just trust my swing down over cover or down on the ground.

Q. Your glove work, too, was exceptional. Did you work hard at that as well?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, I've been pretty poor behind the stands the last couple of months. Been working hard ever since getting here to the West Indies. Every single coach, support staff, has been helping me. Obviously had a big loss in Tim Coyle not in the group anymore. So don't have a specialist keeping coach. But every staff member stepped up and thrown me balls at one point. And I've been putting a lot of hard work in there. So hopefully I can do the spinners justice. They all bowl incredibly well. It's sort of my role behind the stumps to finish it off for them.

Q. What sort of specific training have you been doing, can you give me a little bit of detail?
ALYSSA HEALY: Bum down. No. I wasn't using my legs enough. I was getting a little bit lazy. So for me just getting my legs back into the game and getting in strong positions and being able to stay low and I guess keep on these sort of tricky conditions is going to be really important. So something that I'll keep working at throughout the tournament and hopefully just, like I said, keep doing the spinners justice because they're doing a fantastic job.

Q. Have you got faster, too? Your running between wickets seemed to be -- have you been working on your pace?
ALYSSA HEALY: No. Thank you very much. I'm flattered. No, not really. I will credit back home. I had a fantastic preseason for the Breakers. And I guess taking over the captaincy as well as sort of gave me a bit of an ultimatum to sort of lift my game on the training field. And I guess every area of my game in that department lifted. I'm stronger, fitter, faster, naturally. I'm in a good space heading into a huge sort of three or four months of cricket.

Q. Talking about using your legs a bit more. But it was using your feet for that last wicket?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yes, when you're on, you're on. You can't control it. That was one of the luckier ones. But thankfully it went down as a stumping.

Q. Talking about the opening position, there are quite a few batters in that side who could open. Does that keep you on your toes?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yes and no. I think like you mentioned, every single batter in our top eight opened the batting in our WBBL team. So it's a fairly formidable lineup. And I'm sure that the six after us are chomping at the bit to get out there and get that new ball. But I'm not really thinking about that too much, to be honest. I think if the time comes that I get shuffled back down in the middle, I'm sure I can do that role as well. But I'm enjoying the freedom at the top of the order at the moment.

Q. Is that a sign of a big change or positive change, some kind of change in the Australian lineup where that batting lineup is a bit more flexible and even having some outstanding players be willing to come in further down the line?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, Pez has a serious case of pad rash at the moment. Padded up in every single game for us and not really got a hit or come in really late. To have a world-class, I think she's still one of the best players in the world, sort of missing out and not getting a hit, shows the depth and flexibility of our lineup, and I think for every single player in our top, I guess, 10 just put their ego aside and come out and play a role and do their job for the team is really exciting, and that just shows the character of our team at the moment and I guess that's why we're so excited about where we're at.

Q. And Meg coming in above Ash today, is there a reason behind that?
ALYSSA HEALY: I didn't notice that. Yes. I think Ash has a key role for us to play in the powerplay. And I think if Moons and I fall in that first six, I think Ash will naturally come in and continue to take the game on. But I think the more Meg -- the more balls Meg Lanning faces for us the better.

Q. Just looking at the overall picture of men's cricket and the tri cities in England, a team was playing two T20Is in a day. Yours was three T20Is on the same pitch. How far do you think it's going to go to help grow the game? In a way women's cricket is doing things that men's cricket doesn't even imagine doing.
ALYSSA HEALY: I think that just shows the flexibility and the willingness of the female players to adapt to these sort of situations and be willing to promote the game the way we do. And I think that's something really exciting. That's something really special that I think women's cricket have got where we're so adaptable really open to the media coming in asking questions, getting to know our personality, and I think that's something really special in our game.

And like you mentioned, three games on one pitch in one day is probably something that I've never seen before. But in saying that, I think it's a pretty good wicket. And to have the West Indies at home in that final game at 8:00, to see the crowd rolling in, I think it's something pretty special. So I can't complain too much.

Q. Which basically means you're happy you're not playing the third game?
ALYSSA HEALY: A little bit. I'm happy we won the toss and batted, that's for sure.

Q. Ireland next. Anything you're looking at before that game?
ALYSSA HEALY: They're a tricky little side to come up against. They've got a pretty decent bowling attack. I'm not 100 percent sure on their batting, off the top of my head. But we'll sit down do individual planning for their side. And I honestly believe there's no easy beat in this competition. I think all sides participating can win this World Cup. And we're not taking our position as No. 1 for granted. Ireland are a tricky side. We'll do our homework, come out there and hopefully put another good performance on the board.

Q. You're obviously familiar with one of their bowlers in Kimmie G?
ALYSSA HEALY: Kimmie G has done pretty good things for the 6s over the last few years. She's definitely one to watch with the ball. She's a serious T20 bowler and we'll do our homework and see the areas that we can score, that's for sure.

Q. The decision not to play Jonassen. Why? Were you -- how was the team --
ALYSSA HEALY: I'm not involved in those decision-making. I can't really tell you. But I'm not too sure. I think it's -- obviously will be pretty disappointing for her. She's been top of the rankings for a long time in T20 cricket. But in saying that, Sophie Molineux has come into the side and done an outstanding job in her absence. I'm sure the selectors thought why change it if it's not broken. But I'm sure that Jona, and as with the other girls sitting on the bench who will play a role for us throughout this T20 champion for sure.

Q. And Wareham, she seemed do it pretty easy?
ALYSSA HEALY: She's awesome. Murphy just slotted into the team with ease and gets along with everyone and is coming out and showing everybody exactly what she can do as a cricketer. There's a rumour in Victoria that she's the best fielder in the world. So she's a pretty exciting prospect for us. To come out and bowl, spin the way she does, without looking nervous, then just rolling out of her hand is pretty impressive.

Q. You said roles homework. How much stats work goes into finding these matchups that you have specific roles for, matching up with specific players from the other opposition, how much stats go into that?
ALYSSA HEALY: Good question. I think stats play a big role and a lot of vision as well. But in saying that, I think we're really focusing on what we can do and what our team can do and we obviously look at the opposition and some possible threats to our both batting and bowling lineup in saying that we're focusing on what we can do and how we can play on these wickets to achieve what we want to. So whilst we're doing a little bit of homework I think there will be a lot of homework on us as well.

Q. By vision, work?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah.

Q. What's the story behind your shirt number?
ALYSSA HEALY: Good question. I think I always wanted to be No. 7. That was my dream. And when I first came into the New South Wales side, it wasn't an option. Lisa Sthalekar was No. 7. She promised to give it to me when she retired. Unfortunately our careers crossed paths. And Lisa (indiscernible) suggested I take 77 instead. I did that and quickly changed it for my Aussie number as well.

Q. Why did you want to be No. 7?
ALYSSA HEALY: I have no idea. I think it had something to do with David Beckham. Why not?

(Laughter)

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