Healy cleared to resume keeping but tight schedule could be a challenge – T20 IPL 2024

Alyssa Healy will resume wicketkeeping duties for Australia in the Ashes series opener, Sunday’s first ODI against England in Sydney.

But Healy, Australia’s captain who has been nursing a knee injury since mid-November, admitted that a tight schedule of seven matches – including a four-day Test – in the space of 22 days might mean some rotation of personnel through the series, which starts with three ODIs followed by three T20s.

“Yeah, good to go,” a beaming Healy told reporters of her ability to keep after a practice session at North Sydney Oval, less than 24 hours before the series start at the same venue.

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“Probably I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t any doubt, in particular off the back of a rough couple of months, but everything’s progressed probably just as well as we would have hoped. I’m feeling really good.

“More importantly, I’m feeling really confident on it to be able to get out there and do that job. I wouldn’t be doing it if I felt like I was going to let the team down. I’m really excited to get back out there tomorrow.”

Healy has endured a tough run with injury since October, when she ruptured the plantar fascia in her in her right foot while running between the wickets during Australia’s group game against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup.

She then suffered a knee problem while playing for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL, ruling her out of Australia’s home one-dayers against India and she played as a batter only on the subsequent ODI tour of New Zealand with Beth Mooney standing in behind the stumps for both series.

On Saturday, Healy trained with the gloves alongside Mooney at slip with Georgia Voll, the 21-year-old opening batter who impressed on international debut against India in her place, feeding balls off the bat.

Having proved herself such a valuable option at the top of the order, including fifty opening alongside Healy in the washed-out Ashes warm-up between England and a Governor General’s XI, Voll could slot in at any time Healy needs to rest though.

“It’s a valid question, and I don’t know the answer to that just yet,” Healy said when asked if she had recovered enough to play all Ashes fixtures. “I think it’s just going to depend on how I pull up after each and every opportunity.

“But obviously we know we’ve got a pretty handy back-up that’s ready to do the job, and I know that I can run around in the field quite confidently as well, so we’ll just play it by ear. From my perspective, I’d love to be out there keeping every game, but we’ll just have to see how the body goes.”

England have one key decision to make over their bowling line-up depending on how dependable seamer Kate Cross pulls up from their match-eve training session after battling a back injury. Cross broke down with back spasms during last month’s tour of South Africa and scans subsequently revealed a slightly bulging disc that required an epidural over the Christmas period.

“Obviously Crossy’s struggling a little bit with a back issue, she’s going to have a little bowl today and we’ll make a final decision once we’ve had a look at the wicket and seen where everyone’s at post-training,” Heather Knight, England’s captain, said on Saturday.

England have a number of seam options including Lauren Bell who returned from South Africa with 12 wickets, eight of those in the Test, and Lauren Filer, whom Knight backed to provide an added dimension with her speed despite struggling with her footing on a soggy North Sydney pitch during the warm-up game, which Knight put down purely to the conditions.

“The bounce that she gets and the speed that she bowls at is really tricky,” Knight said of Filer, who surprised the Australians with her speed on her international debut in the 2023 Ashes Test, where she took two wickets in each innings. “Facing her in the nets is not a particularly pleasant experience, I’ll tell you that, and I think since that 2023 series she’s really grown.

“She’s improved her consistency, she’s added a few skills to her game as well. She was really raw in that series and really made an impact so she’s one of a number of bowlers that are going to contribute throughout this series.

“She’s certainly someone that bowls wicket-taking balls and that’s what we want her to do. Accepting sometimes she’s going to go for runs, that’s completely fine, that’s not her job. Her job is to come in and take poles and try and ruffle a few feathers so I’m excited to watch her bowl for sure.”

England XI (possible): Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (capt), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey/Sophia Dunkley, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer/Kate Cross

Australia XI (possible): Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown/Georgia Wareham

Valkerie Baynes is a general editor, women’s cricket, at ESPNcricinfo

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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