Ultra-competitive opener Alyssa Healy is eager to combat the firepower of English spearhead Katherine Brunt in the Women's Ashes commencing on Tuesday
Healy braced for the Brunt of England
One of the most tantalising contests in world cricket will be reignited on Tuesday when Australian opener Alyssa Healy strides to the middle for the opening match of the women’s Ashes.
Staring down Healy from the other end of the Grace Road pitch will be England spearhead Katherine Brunt, the fiery quick who even at 33 years of age still menaces the world’s best batters.
Brunt was injured when Australia romped home against England in last November’s T20 World Cup final and this will be the first time the pair have gone head-to-head on the international stage since the 2017 Ashes on Australian soil.
It was at the start of that series that explosive wicketkeeper-batter Healy was promoted to the top of the order to combat the threat posed by Brunt with the new-ball.
The Englishwoman got the better of her rival in the first match, dismissing Healy for 18, but the Australian quickly adapted to her new role to produce scores of 56 and 71 in the two ODIs that followed and she hasn’t looked back, averaging 47.50 in one-dayers since.
"I’m a really competitive person and she’s a really competitive person as well," Healy said ahead of Australian training in Leicester on Tuesday.
"For me that’s the challenge you want at the top of the order, you want them to come hard at you and you want to go back just as hard at them.
"For me it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to. Hopefully I get the better of her but we’ll have to wait and see.
The Australian squad had their first look at Grace Road on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s first one-day international of the multi-format series.
Every member of the touring party trained except star allrounder Ellyse Perry – who remained at the team hotel due to general soreness – with Australia to complete a final session on Monday ahead of the Ashes opener.
Just two days until the @SouthernStars play their opening #Ashes ODI in Leicester! pic.twitter.com/F0tslEaOlU%E2%80%94 cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 30, 2019
For Healy, the first ODI can’t come quick enough, with the Australians desperate to win a second Ashes away from home on the trot and make amends for the drawn home series in 2017, where Australia threw away an opportunity to win the series outright when they were defeated in the final two T20s.
"We probably didn’t finish the last Ashes at home quite how we wanted, so we’re hungry to win them again and the English hungry to win them back," Healy said.
"They’re a really good side at the moment, they’re playing some really consistent cricket.”
Australia currently sit on top of both the ODI and T20I charts (there are no ICC rankings for women’s Tests) with England second and third respectively, and Healy says the tourists won’t underestimate the difficultly of winning away from home.
"To win on English soil will be incredibly difficult for us, they’re very competitive in their home conditions and on a roll at the moment, winning a lot of games.
"It’ll be a tough challenge but one we’re looking forward to."
The 29-year-old is also preparing to cop plenty of banter from the local crowds.
"Hopefully there’s no sandpaper thrown at us," Healy laughed.
"We’re excited, a lot of the games are pretty much sold out which is great to see."
Spread the word, Australia! 🇦🇺🏏 It all begins on Tuesday #Ashes pic.twitter.com/pJmiwFcDAj%E2%80%94 Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@SouthernStars) June 30, 2019
The first Ashes ODI begins at 2pm local time on Tuesday (11pm AEST) with all seven matches of the multi-format series to be broadcast live and free on the Nine Network, while the ABC will provide radio coverage.
CommBank Ashes Tour of England
Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
June 26: Australia beat England Academy by six wickets
June 28: Australia beat England Academy by 68 runs
July 2: First ODI, Grace Road, Leicester
July 4: Second ODI, Grace Road, Leicester
July 7: Third ODI, St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
July 11-13: England Academy v Australia, Marlborough College, Swindon
July 18-21: Only Test, The County Ground, Taunton
July 26: First T20, County Ground, Chelmsford
July 28: Second T20, The County Ground, Hove
July 31: Third T20, Bristol County Ground, Bristol
A Test victory is worth four points (two each for a draw), two points are awarded for ODI and T20 wins