Australian opener Beth Mooney says injuries to Alyssa Healy, Ash Gardner won’t stop Ashes domination

Four games into the Ashes and Australia has dominated England, a trend one star says will continue despite injury clouds over two key players.

Australian captain Alyssa Healy is “flat”, with her Ashes campaign in doubt, but Ash Gardner could return for the next T20 against England, with the “well-oiled machine” determined to seize every remaining point on offer having retained the trophy in just eight days.

Selectors weren’t rushing to rule Healy out of the series, seeking more information and waiting to see how her foot injury responds to treatment, and opener Beth Mooney, who replaced her skipper behind the stumps in the series-sealing T20 win on Monday, said Healy “wouldn’t be able to walk” if she had to wear the gloves in the Test match to come.

“As you can imagine, she’s pretty flat,” Mooney, who blasted a matchwinning 75 as Australia retained the Ashes with three games to go in the multi-format series, said of Healy.

“She doesn’t want to miss any games for Australia, and unfortunately for her, she’s missed a few in the last few months.

Beth Mooney hits hard down the ground against England. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

“We’ll put our arm around her, wait and see what the SSSM staff say and what the prognosis is.

“Obviously, when she’s been out, I’ve been able to step into that role and got some good feedback along the way.

“I’m just happy to do what’s required of the team. If we get to the Test and that’s the case, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

“She’s a key member of our playing group, both on and off the field, and we know what impact she can have to the outcome of the results on the field.”

Australia’s comprehensive 57-run win, the fourth in four matches since the opening ODI against England last Sunday, came despite losing both Healy and Gardner, who was coming off a breakthrough international hundred.

Georgia Voll made 21on her T20 debut, and slugger Grace Harris came into the team, but it was a quickfire 26 off nine balls from stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath, who took the key wicket of Sophia Dunkley bowling for the first time in the series, that proved pivotal.

Mooney said that showed how Australia could overcome challenges of all types when it mattered most.

“It’s happened a little bit to us in recent times, hasn’t it?” she said

“We’re a well-oiled machine when this happens. These things come up in high performance sports.

Australia has won all four Ashes contests against England. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

“It’s disappointing obviously for Ash and Midge tonight … but it probably was a great showcase of our depth in the end.”

Mooney said Gardner, who injured her calf, could possibly play in the second T20 in Canberra on Thursday.

“From all reports she (Gardner) is looking all right,” she said.

“Obviously, there’s a couple of days now between this game and Canberra, so we’ll have an opportunity to reassess with her and look at how she’s feeling.

“I’d say it was pretty precautionary, just with what’s ahead in the rest of the series with two more T20s and a Test match. She’s obviously disappointed she didn’t play tonight, but looking long-term I think there’s some big games to come.”