Alyssa Healy has claimed four dismissals and hit a rapid-fire 48 to help Australia to a 52-run victory over Pakistan to start their women’s World Twenty20 campaign in Guyana.
After she helped power Australia to 5-165 with the bat, Healy kept tremendously to the spinners on a low, turning wicket as Pakistan were held to 8-113.
The effort behind the stumps equalled the record mark by an Australian woman in an international T20 and was the third time Healy had reached the milestone.
Tournament favourites Australia were at times sloppy in the field but Healy had no such concerns as she claimed catches off Sophie Molineux (1-21) and Georgia Wareham (2-18) as well as a stumping off Wareham.
Her last dismissal was then more good fortune than anything else as a ball from Megan Schutt (2-13) rebounded off Healy’s pads and onto the stumps while Pakistani tailender Nashra Sandhu was out of her crease.
The 28-year-old also helped finish off the tight run out of Umaima Sohail (20) off the arm of Delissa Kimmince, taking the throw and whipping off the bails.
It all came as Healy gets used to life without Aussie wicketkeeping coach Tim Coyle, who moved on recently.
“I’ve been pretty poor behind the stumps the last couple of months,” Healy said.
“Been working my butt off ever since getting here to the West Indies. Every single coach, support staff, has been helping me.
“Obviously had a big loss in Tim Coyle not in the group anymore. So don’t have a specialist keeping coach.
“But every staff member stepped up and thrown me balls at one point. And I’ve been putting a lot of hard work in there. So hopefully I can do the spinners justice.”
Sohail and Bismah Maroof (26) had provided the only resistance for Pakistan, who were looking to pull off their biggest successful run chase in T20s.
Healy and fellow opener Beth Mooney had earlier put Australia in control of the game when they whacked 0-58 from the opening six-over power play against the spinners.
Both scored 48, with Healy’s coming from just 29 balls as she hit powerfully through the leg side and struck a massive six straight down the ground in the game’s opening over before falling to seamer Aliya Riaz at long on.
Captain Meg Lanning then closed the innings with 41 from 34 balls, while Ashleigh Gardner chipped in with 13 off 10.
The game was played on the same pitch where India beat New Zealand in the tournament opener earlier on Saturday (AEDT).
The form team headed into the tournament, Australia aim to reclaim the trophy they won three times straight between 2010 and 2014 but dropped in 2016.
