Meg Lanning backs out of form opener Alyssa Healy, who failed to break double figures for the sixth-straight game against South Africa
Aussie captain Meg Lanning has declared her underperforming opener Alyssa Healy will bat herself back into form, after she again failed to fire in Australia’s T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa.
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Australia opener Alyssa Healy might be going through an untimely batting slump, but captain Meg Lanning says she’s still her bubbly self around the group and the team was not worried heading into Friday’s opening T20 World Cup game against India.
“No doubt she’d love to be scoring a lot more runs,” Lanning said after her side’s four-wicket warm-up game win over South Africa in Adelaide.
“But we also understand that’s T20 cricket and you have your ups and downs, and her role is to get us off to a good start and that doesn’t happen without risks.
“She’s been really good around the group, she’s always really bubbly and her (wicket) keeping’s been really good, which is the other string to her bow, and it’s really important for our team.”
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Lanning said the Australian team was not worried about Healy’s form and there was certainly no discussion about changing the opening batting line-up combination of Healy, known as ‘Midge’, and Beth Mooney.
“She’s earnt a really good run at that spot, she’s been really good over a couple of years now,” Lanning said.
“She’s in a little bit of a low patch now, but it turns around really quickly so we haven’t given any thought to that (swapping the order).
“She’s our opener with Moons and we look forward to them putting some good partnerships together.
“We’re not worried, we’re looking forward to her (Healy) getting up and running.”
Healy made nine runs against South Africa at Karen Rolton Oval, hitting two fours, before being caught at backward square by Sune Luus.
“She plays a high-risk game, so she’s going to take the bowlers on and sometimes it just doesn’t work for you and you hit the fielders,” said Lanning, who made a game-saving 47 with the bat.
“It’ll click for her.
“All the way along she’s actually been hitting the ball well, she just keeps getting out early.
“In the nets, her swing’s really nice, it will take a couple to get in the gap and she’ll be away and firing and hopefully that’s Friday night.”
Australia lost its top-three batters – Healy, Mooney and Ash Gardner – for 19 runs, but Lanning said the team’s batting depth would see it through the upcoming World Cup.
She also praised the preparation leading into the tournament, which has seem the Aussies lose one close game each to England and India.
“We couldn’t have asked for more, really,” she said.
“We’ve been put under the pump on a few different situations both batting and bowling first, and we’ve been able to respond really well.
“We’re as ready as we can be, now it’s just about going out there and putting it on the park.”
Australia opens its T20 World Cup campaign against India on Friday night in Sydney.
Originally published as Meg Lanning backs out of form opener Alyssa Healy, who failed to break double figures for the sixth-straight game against South Africa