Stars of the Women’s International Cricket team share how they fell for the game

In the latest episode of Little Chats, Tayla sits down with the stars of the Women’s International Test team ahead of the blockbuster Ashes series.

Aussie cricketers Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy and Kim Garth have all made sacrifices to realise their sporting dreams.

Whether it’s moving to the other side of the world, balancing a career with education or juggling the demands of elite sport with their everyday lives.

They sat down for the latest episode of Little Chats before the women’s Ashes series against England to discuss their love for the game and how they find time for their personal pursuits.

Gardner, who balances a busy life on and off the field, is pursuing her MBA as a postgraduate certificate.

“I feel like I’m a really busy person,” Gardner said. “I’m studying, doing my MBA as a post-grad certificate, and I don’t have an undergrad.”

Ashleigh Gardner keeps herself busy off the field. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

When she’s not on the cricket pitch or diving into her studies, the right-arm off-spinner is often at home renovating with her fiancee.

“(We’re trying) to do a lot of stuff by ourselves, which sometimes is a bit challenging,” she said.

If you assumed Gardner was being guided by tutorials online, you would be wrong.

“ Don’t even watch YouTube, just wing it,” she laughed.

For someone who spends much of her time on the road with the Australian cricket team, Gardner treasures the quiet moments at home.

“It’s actually just nice to be in my own environment with the people that I want to hang out with,” she said in emphasising how important it was to step away from the “bubble” of professional sport.

Gardner started playing cricket in the backyard with her older brother, a fellow sports enthusiast.

“I think like a lot of kids, it was in the backyard,” she said.

“I’ve got an older brother who played a lot of sport and I pretty much wanted to play every sport that he was.

“He played rugby league, I played rugby league. He did cricket, I did cricket.”

Gardner’s love for the sport was also influenced by her father, who is still active on the field. “He still plays, which is quite hilarious. He’s 60 and he still likes to trundle,” she said with a smile.

“He plays in like some over-45s thing. He’s just a diehard and he’s so competitive. He still thinks that he’s good enough to play. Bless him.”

While her love for sport was clear from a young age, rugby league first captured her attention. However, as she grew older, the physical nature of the game became a challenge.

When asked if she could have been an NRLW star in another universe, Gardner responded with a playful grin.

“A ‘legend’ might be a bit of a stretch but maybe I could’ve played,” she said.

Like Gardner, Healy has her own unforgettable story of how she first got into cricket.

“I actually didn’t really like it,” Healy said about her early experiences.

Alyssa Healy wasn’t a huge fan of cricket when she first started. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“I first went to what is now the Woolworths Cricket Blast days and I ended up in the sandpit. I wasn’t playing cricket. I didn’t want to.”

That changed when she had a chance to put on the wicketkeeping gloves.

“ I must have done an OK job (because) the following week I had to play up a grade,” she said with a smile.

“One of our best mates … he was quite sharp back in the day, in under-11s.

“I was standing way too close to the stumps and he bowled a bouncer … hit me straight in the head behind the stumps.

“ I got up with the biggest smile on my face, had a seam marked straight down my head, and I ran to the other end and I said, ‘This is it. I love this sport.’”

Away from the field, Healy enjoys spending time with her husband and fellow Aussie cricketer Mitchell Starc, and often travels to watch him play.

“I do spend a lot of time on the golf course, or probably travelling to wherever Mitch might be playing,” she said.

“It’s quite difficult spending most of the year apart.”

No matter where they go, Healy makes sure to bring her golf clubs along for the ride.

“I’ve always got my golf sticks, always,” Healy said.

“I was lucky enough to play a round with (golf professional) Hannah Green earlier in the year when we were in Perth and I realised that I’m average at golf and that I should never aim that high.”

The very humble Healy has a handicap of four.

Irish-born Garth’s love for cricket came a little later than her peers.

“I think probably for me it came later than most people,” Garth said. “I grew up in Ireland, played cricket for Ireland for a long time.

Her moment of realisation came when she was selected by the Sydney Sixers as a rookie for 2016-17 Women’s Big Bash League season.

“I remember going home and I just really missed it,’’ she said. “I was like, ‘OK, I want to live over there. I want that to be my job. I want that to be my lifestyle.’”

Kim Garth made the move to Australia from Ireland for the game. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

That moment sparked something in her and led to a move to Australia. Her decision wasn’t without sacrifice.

“I sat down and had a few conversations with Cricket Victoria and it became apparent pretty quickly they were happy to take me on and contract me as long as I would make the move away from Ireland and leave family and friends behind,” Garth said.

“I thought, ‘If I don’t do it now I never will and I don’t want to live with any regrets’.”

While she’s built a successful career in Australia, Garth said there were a few simple things she missed about home.

“ The thing I miss – this might sound a bit weird – is the first aisle of a supermarket,’’ she said.

“Fresh produce is, I think, much better in Ireland than it is in here. That’s what I miss.

“Fruit, veg, anything from the bakery, fresh juices, all that stuff,  a lot better back home.”

Originally published as Stars of the Women’s International Cricket team share how they fell for the game