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ICC WOMEN'S WORLD T20

November 22, 2018

Alyssa Healy

North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda

Australia - 142/5, West Indies - 71/all-out

Q. How do you rate your performance today?
ALYSSA HEALY: Huge. I think just really proud of the girls' effort. I think it was one tricky wicket out there, and the way we just fought, fought really hard with the bat. And the ball was just executed again and again. And really proud of that win. That meant a lot to the group.

We could not just swing through the line like I have been in the last sort of six weeks. So it was -- that left a bit of fluff, I like to call it, on top of the wicket, and just sort of gripping the ball and made it quite tricky for the batters.

So you really had to play smart, and we'll take a lot out of that going into the final. But I think our bowlers watched that unfold and bowled it perfectly after.

Q. How were you feeling about their score of 140?
ALYSSA HEALY: Actually, really excited by it. I think I said, when I got out that if we can get 130, 140, we're right in this game, knowing that our bowlers would execute when called upon. I was quietly confident but at the same time we still had to bowl well and I think they did a fantastic job.

Q. Just on your eyewear tonight?
ALYSSA HEALY: I've had glasses for the last six months now. Haven't worn them on the cricket field. And the way my gloves have been going of late, I thought why not, can't get any worse. I thought I'd take them out there. And they worked a treat. You might see me in them again.

Q. In terms of your health, was there any doubt you'd be playing, and how did you feel during the week and then now how do you feel?
ALYSSA HEALY: Look, I'll sit here and I'll say I think I was really, really lucky. I really didn't get many symptoms, concussion symptoms. I didn't have headaches. I didn't have anything. I simply had a sore neck from the whiplash after hitting Schutt's shoulder. I was really lucky. And I had fantastic medical staff in Kate and Pete looking after me and making sure I was making smart decisions about what I was doing. I think I was really lucky. And I think personally I did all the right things as well to give my mind a break and let it refresh and replenish and go today. So I'm still symptom-free. And really I guess I'm really excited that I got to play tonight.

Q. You didn't seem bothered by it with your shot selection or anything like that?
ALYSSA HEALY: No, just more the wicket than my brain. No, it was, like I said, I think I was really lucky. Even the last two training sessions coming out of the ball, I was seeing the ball fine and I hadn't really lost anything in my batting. So I was just really, really lucky and fingers crossed it doesn't happen again.

Q. Just that catch -- what were you thinking there?
ALYSSA HEALY: I was more excited because after the Ashes last year and just dropped two in a row at nighttime. So I'm never too confident under that high ball. But, look, glasses, new woman, I was confident going into the World Cup taking that catch. Look, everyone steered clear and let me have my space and fortunately I stayed in.

Q. Yesterday they spoke about how everyone was looking at the match as a privilege to be playing. Could you elaborate on that a little bit?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, I think this World Cup in all seriousness is probably the most tightly contested I've been a part of. I think every single team I thought could come here and really challenge everybody for the World Cup. So for us it was a real I guess a real privilege and a real honour to get to the semifinals and we worked really hard and played some good cricket right throughout to deserve our spot. But we came into this semifinal I think underdogs in the way that the crowd was behind the West Indies we really thrived on that and got the job done in the end.

So every time we get to pull on that green and gold, it's a privilege. And to play in a World Cup semifinal is one step further.

Q. Everybody looks at the Australians as how they go about the game. A lot of emotions when Perry got her wicket; she was really happy.
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, I haven't seen people like that too much. It just really showed what that win meant to this group. I'd be lying if I sat here and said we haven't got scars after the last couple of World Cups to be ranked No. 1 in the world and not have a trophy is sort of something we were looking to rectify. So for us to go out there and execute exactly what we wanted to do, yeah. It's just really pleasing. And like I said before, it's such a proud win. And I think everyone deserves to be emotional and to be really happy about it.

Q. The green and gold, so special for all of you. What's the particular part of this Australian team culture that really stands out, this current team?
ALYSSA HEALY: I'm not too sure I can put my finger on it. But it's just -- there's something special. There's a bit of an aura around this group at the moment and there's just something really special building and, look, we've got one more huge game to go. And you know we'll be disappointed if we can't get over the line no matter our opponent. But this is just a really special feeling about the group at the moment and even the young girls that have come into the side and just stepped up where needed and just fit in really nicely.

Yeah, I can't put my finger on it. It feels really cool and awesome to be a part of it and hopefully we can do that justice and go one more.

Q. Over the last couple of years there's been some big losses. How did the team handle losses then, and how do you think this team can handle losses now?
ALYSSA HEALY: Look, it's not easy. I think the last two World Cups we were a part of we sort of took two pretty hard defeats but they're pretty hard to take. But at the same time I think we learned from those things and I think it shows the maturity of the group to be able to come back together after especially after England last year, sit down and we watched the game together and talked through what went wrong what we could have done better and I think it shows the maturity of this group and something that a really difficult thing to do, we sat there and did it together. And I think that's why this team is so good at the moment and we're learning from those losses. And I think even losing to India in that last round game, I think we learned a lot out of that.

Q. To build on that, is that a challenge for a team that wins so often?
ALYSSA HEALY: For who? Sorry?

Q. For a team that wins so often, handling losses, is that a challenge?
ALYSSA HEALY: Actually, I said at the start of the tournament that everybody's got to have a loss. And in all seriousness I think that last round game was the perfect time for us to lose in that we were playing some really, really good cricket but you've got to have a crack game somewhere along the line.

In tournament play, it's hard to go perfect all the time. So I think you learn a lot more from your losses and we took a lot out of that India game and I think it will put us in good stead come Saturday.

Q. You guys clearly trained extremely hard after every game in the group stages. I've watched whether you've won or lost you seem to go training on the field straight after, during beat tests. But today that didn't happen. Was it a great relief, to be through to the final?
ALYSSA HEALY: I don't know why we didn't tonight. Thanks for that. I escaped it by coming here if there was something. So I think it's something that the group prides itself on. We're really professional, win, lose, or draw and we know what we have to get done. And we've been away now for six weeks. We've been on the road. And I guess keeping your physical standards up is pretty tricky to do in a really high energy tournament like this but the group's professionalism and just going out there and getting it done is really cool. And the coaching staff tell us exactly what we need to do and everyone just gets out there gets it done.

Q. You came up against the defending champions and the home team which is backed by a big crowd. And you yourself had a loss in the final, in the last league game, where does this rank among Australia's World T20 wins?
ALYSSA HEALY: Pretty high up. I think, like I said before, I'm really proud of that win. I think to come here to the West Indies, to play in front of a crowd like that that's 99 percent going for the West Indies, we sort of thrive off that, we love being the underdogs in Australia. We don't get to do it too often. I think being the number one ranked side. For us to come here try to take a trophy off the West Indies was always going to be really difficult. So for us to go out there and play such a good performance today it was really special.

Q. You're obviously a long way from home. You mentioned there's only two Aussie supporters here. Do you feel the support back home from messages?
ALYSSA HEALY: Yeah, we have. Aaron Finch left us a really lovely message this morning wishing us luck. And we feel the love from home. It's been on really good terms over there. I think it's 7:00 in the morning in Sydney. So all of our mates have been texting after every game. We feel the love from back home. Sometimes it's nice to be so far away minding our own business. But I think for all of Australia to be sitting there behind us means a lot.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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