Healy reveals elbow injury hampered WBBL campaign

Alyssa Healy has revealed she was carrying an elbow injury through the latter part of the Weber WBBL season, as the Australia wicketkeeper-batter hopes to lead NSW Breakers in their domestic 50-over opener on Friday.

NSW captain Healy has been included in the Breakers' 14-player squad for their two Women's National Cricket League matches against Victoria in Melbourne, while Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes will make her playing return from the hamstring injury that ended her series early against India in September.

But the Breakers will be without left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle, who will miss the remainder of the summer after another shoulder injury blow, key allrounder Sammy-Jo Johnson, who will miss the opening WNCL games with a hip issue picked up in the WBBL, and Rachel Trenaman remains unavailable as she continues her return from a partial ACL tear.

Healy revealed to cricket.com.au last week she had struggled through the elbow complaint during the latter part of the Weber WBBL season, which impeded her ability to bat freely.

Its impact was felt in the middle; Healy hit a stunning 94 not out against Perth Scorchers on October 31 but managed a top score of 17 from the seven innings that followed.

"It was just probably noticeable in the backend of the WBBL in some technique that I was using, just simply because I was having to having to try and change it on the run to try and grip about the bat the best way I could," Healy said.

"I was just trying to get it done, and ultimately, I wasn't able to get it done. But a couple of weeks off and a really good management plan has really helped get some strength back.

"I'm just trying to get that right, it is a huge six months in the new year of cricket and some really important cricket that I want to be a part of, so I'm just managing that at the moment.

"But captaining the Breakers is something that I really cherish and I don't want to let any opportunity go there, so I'm going to do my best to get up for (those games this) week and hopefully be a part of one if not two (matches)."

First-year Breakers coach Twining backed Healy and fellow Australia star Gardner, who was also below her best in WBBL|07 to regain form in the 50-over format.

Gardner missed the Sixers' final game of the season after a string of four scoreless innings but is set to take the field on Friday.

"They're class players … Alyssa definitely kept it quiet that she had that elbow injury," Twining said.

"Once she can get that injury right, you'll see the best of her leading into the Ashes.

"I think the same with Ash, she'd been in lockdown and she'd been away from home for a long time but she looks really refreshed over the last couple of days and keen to get stuck into it on December 17.

"I think you'll see a very different two players from WBBL, a tough series against India and being away from home for so long definitely took its toll on those two.

"Having been at home, being refreshed mentally as well as physically, I reckon they'll perform really well in both the WNCL and in the Ashes."

Cheatle, who has suffered a series of shoulder injuries throughout her career to date, revealed on social media on Wednesday she had gone under the knife and would be rehabilitating with a view to returning in 2022-23. Twining told cricket.com.au the fast bowler had suffered a recurrence of an old right-shoulder problem late in the WBBL season.

The 23-year-old had enjoyed a brilliant run of form through the second half of WBBL|07, taking 10 wickets at 14.5 in eight matches after a delayed start to her campaign as she recovered from surgery to remove an early-stage skin cancer from her shin.

The Breakers have boosted their pace stocks for this season by recruiting Maitlan Brown from the ACT after she broke into the national squad last summer. NSW have also added teenagers Jade Allen and Claire Moore, while Hayley Silver-Holmes (Tasmania), Maddy Darke and Lisa Griffth (both Western Australia) have all moved interstate.

Australia's upcoming Ashes and ODI World Cup campaigns will impact player availability through the latter part of the season. The one-day leg of the Ashes will clash with the resumption of the WNCL in mid-February, and the World Cup squad will depart for New Zealand immediately after the final Ashes ODI on February 19.

NSW Breakers squad to play Victoria: Alyssa Healy (c), Jade Allen, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Emma Hughes, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson

NSW Breakers contract list

Alyssa Healy (c)*, Jade Allen, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner*, Rachael Haynes*, Emma Hughes, Sammy Jo-Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Lauren Smith, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

Ins: Maitlan Brown, Jade Allen, Claire Moore

Outs: Maddy Darke (WA), Lisa Griffith (WA), Hayley Silver-Holmes (TAS)

Image Id: 0C1DB73FF0BB448FA27EA41F41A5BE10 Image Caption: NSW Breakers have a rich WNCL history // Getty

Last year's result

Fourth (three wins, three losses, one tie, one no result)

Fixtures

December 17 v Victoria, Junction Oval

December 19 v Victoria, Junction Oval

January 6 v ACT Meteors, Manuka Oval

January 14 v ACT Meteors, North Sydney Oval

February 15 v Tasmania, North Sydney Oval

February 18 v South Australia, Karen Rolton Oval

February 24 v Western Australia, North Sydney Oval

February 27 v Queensland, North Sydney Oval

The inside word with head coach Gavan Twining

The pre-season

"It was different ... we obviously had lockdowns and we had certain girls who were in hotspots, plus myself, and we weren't actually allowed to go to training. I was probably away from training for six or seven weeks where I couldn't have any contact other than phone calls and zoom calls. Lauren Smith and Ash Gardner (were in those hotspots) … Ash and myself every now and then were allowed to have a one-on-one hit because we were in the same hotspot area. We had Phoebe Litchfield and Jade Allan, who were at school in country areas and couldn't come to Sydney in their holidays. The players who could train had a really uninterrupted, good preparation for WBBL and for Breakers, but for a few of them, including myself, it was very much remote. As a first-year coach, it was different, that's for sure."

Young guns to watch

"Alyssa will keep when she's available but I think Tahlia Wilson, when she gets that opportunity to keep, she did a great job during the WBBL for the Thunder and I'm really looking forward to her batting (too), I think 50-over cricket suits her batting probably more so than T20. And she'll only get better at T20, and I think her glovework was fantastic during the WBBL so look forward to what she can do behind the stumps when she gets a chance.

"And I'm really excited about Stella Campbell, she's done a fair bit of hard work and looked really good (last week) in the nets and she'll get some opportunities to bowl with a newer ball for the Breakers with a few injuries before Christmas, I'm expecting some really good things from her."