Opener makes impressive half-century in WT20 warm-up to cement return to national side
Recalled Villani refreshed after 'mental break'
Being dropped from the Australian team turned into a valuable chance to take stock and gain perspective, Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars opener Elyse Villani has revealed.
Villani marked her return to form in style with a powerful 51 from 42 balls in Chennai on Monday, playing a starring role as the Southern Stars completed an emphatic 43-run win over West Indies.
Quick Single: Southern Stars secure strong win
The 26-year-old was left out of the Australian squad which met India in January following a string of low performances in the Women's Big Bash League, where she averaged 15.66 from 11 innings for the Perth Scorchers.
It was enough to spark a turnaround for the resilient right-hander, who bounced back with unbeaten knocks of 72 and 43 in the latter stages of the tournament before plundering a double century in grade cricket to force her way back into the international fold.
"I guess I used it as a bit of a mental break, to be honest," Villani said after Monday's match.
"I fell into the trap of trying to get picked for Australia and that’s not a healthy way to go about it.
"I had a good conversation with (Southern Stars coach) Matthew Mott when I wasn't selected and I had a good chat to (WA coach) Lisa Keightley back home as well.
"I used it to put things in perspective and I got a bit more balance to my life while I sat on the sidelines."
Quick Single: Women's WT20 preview: Group B
Villani was recalled for Australia's tour of New Zealand, scoring three runs at No.6 in the first T20 before returning to her usual position at the top of the order for the next two games, dismissed for six on both occasions.
But she was back at her explosive best on Monday, finding the boundary on eight occasions as she played the aggressor in a 70-run opening stand with Alyssa Healy.
It was yet another opening combination for Australia – who tested out the pairings of (in order) Grace Harris and Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy and Mooney, Meg Lanning and Mooney and finally Villani and Lanning in their past nine T20s – but finally it clicked, as the Southern Stars advanced through the power play without losing a wicket for the first time since Villani and Ellyse Perry put on 121 for the first wicket against Ireland in Dublin last August.
"Alyssa and I have opened together for a little bit in the past, it's pretty easy to open with any of the girls," Villani said.
"She's very talented and we like to have a bit of a laugh in the middle which is nice.
"It was good to spend some time out in the middle, so I'm happy with that and happy with the win.
Quick Single: Better late than never for uncapped Carey
"We've been struggling putting two parts of the game together and we did that nicely today, so that should give us a bit of momentum moving forward."
Another player absent from Australia's T20 series loss to India in January, Kristen Beams, was also in fine form against the Windies.
The leg-spinner missed that series due to a dislocated thumb but produced her best performance since her return in Chennai, snaring 3-9 from three overs including the huge wickets of captain Stafanie Taylor and allrounder Deandra Dottin.
It was a display that will give opposition teams – including England and South Africa, who were watching on in the MA Chidambaram Stadium stands while waiting for their own warm-up – plenty to think about before meeting the defending World T20 champions.
"It's fantastic. I think Beamsy would love to bowl every game of her life in India if she could," Villani said.
"The conditions suit her really well, she's a great leggie for us and she's been bowling well without reward so it was great to see her get that reward today."