World T20: Alyssa Healy a smooth operator behind the stumps

Alyssa Healy’s contribution behind the stumps cannot be rated highly enough.

Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy stumps Nida Dar of Pakistan in their World T20 match in Guyana. Picture: Getty Images

Nifty glovewoman. Gloveperson. Whatever the term, her glove work is impeccable. Tidy. Crisp. Uncle Ian must be proud. Alyssa Healy keeps getting raps for her pugnacious contributions as an opening batwoman, batperson, BATTER, but anyone who understands the dark art of wicketkeeping can only swoon at the sheer technical excellence of her shifts behind the stumps.

Healy was expected to pass her concussion tests overnight to be cleared to play this morning’s World T20 semi-final against the West Indies. She was knocked out in an on-field collision in the group stage. Her possible absence increased the risk of the Southern Stars being knocked out of the tournament. Australia were due to play at 7am (AEDT). By 10am we will know if Australia have made it through to their fifth successive World T20 final.

While Healy’s batting at the World Cup has been productive and momentum-building — when she made runs, she made them damn quickly — her keeping went under-appreciated. She’s been like a modern-day version of Uncle Ian, the ex-Test gloveman who ­always performed his work as neatly as someone sweeping up a bit of mess with a broom.

“She has a demanding job,” Ian said. “Having to keep up to the stumps almost every over of every match — T20, ODI or Test. She is technically great and needs real ­patience to wait low, long enough for the real slow bowlers. Accompanying that technique is her match-turning flair. Some of her highlights dismissals are just stunning.”

Healy has been energetic, chirpy, light on her feet, quick with her hands and the owner of a textbook style. Standing back to the medium-pacers for a right-hand batter, she’s routinely taken the ball on the inside of her left hip. Perfect. Because when there’s an outside edge, you’ve already covered an area to the right. Standing up to the stumps, again to a right-hand batter, her right foot has ­invariably moved in the direction of cover. Again, this means her body and gloves have moved to the outside of the ball. Better for combating away movement, or latching on to nicks. Australia would always miss her batting when she’s unavailable, but not nearly as much as her keeping.

There’s a video of a leg-side stumping she pulled off for the Sydney Sixers last year. She’d stood up to the stumps to medium-pacer Sarah Aley and she’d worn a helmet to do so. Uncle Ian started that trend. Aley had speared one down leg side. The ball was full. Keepers lose sight of the ball when this happens. The batter’s pads and bat get in the way, creating a blind spot. Healy had shuffled to her left. She’d gloved the ball in the slot of her right hand. Sydney Thunder’s Caribbean import Stafanie Taylor had missed a leg glance. Her back foot had moved out of the crease by about a centimetre. For about a millisecond. Healy had sprung back to her right and whipped off the bails. Lightning efficiency. Hence Australia’s desperation to get her on the field at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium this morning.

Her chances of playing against the Windies improved after surviving a net session on match eve without complication.