Alyssa Healy on the early moment which turned the Ashes Australia’s way
Australia captain Alyssa Healy felt there was a specific moment early in the Ashes series which sparked the Aussies’ ruthless demolition of England.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy identified the second match of the Ashes series as the moment she felt the Aussies had England’s measure.
England dismissed Australia for 180 in the second One-Day International at Junction Oval and was 5-120 in reply before being bundled out for 159.
Australia won a match it shouldn’t have on January 14 and went on to sweep the English 16-0.
Healy giggled on Saturday night when asked if there was a specific moment in the series she thought was a turning point.
“Junction Oval, quite literally, the second game of the series,” she laughed.
“I thought that was a real opportunity for them to come back in and get some momentum in a sense (after losing the first game).
“I thought that was a real series changer. Then once we’re in front I feel like we’re really hard to catch.”
Healy said the Twenty20 performances then assured her of where the hosts were headed this summer.
“Leading into the T20 series, I don’t think there was any nerves about how we were going to play, but there was obviously a lot of talk about the T20 World Cup and what we wanted to shift,” Healy said.
“To see at the SCG the girls come out the way they did and just showcase how goo, they are, for me I thought, ‘we’re well on our way here’.”
This Aussie side has won multiple World Cups but an Ashes whitewash, capped by a day-night Test thumping at the MCG, was a historic first.
Healy said she didn’t think an Ashes series would ever end in a 16-0 result and hoped the enormity of her side’s achievement wasn’t lost on them.
“Pretty highly, I think it probably hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said when asked where it ranked among her many achievements.
“I feel like I have been a part of Ashes series that have been really hard-fought series and I never thought any side would win 16-nil at any point,” she said.
“For me to sit back and reflect on that, this is a really special thing for our group and I hope everyone appreciates what’s unfolded because it’s pretty amazing.”