Alyssa Healy says Australia’s World Cup rivals should be “concerned” that superstar Ellyse Perry has recaptured her blistering white-ball best just as Australia begins preparations to reassert its dominance on the world stage.
Dropped for the Ashes T20Is and wicketless in ODIs since October 2019 before the multi-format Ashes series began, Perry appeared on shaky ground heading into the ODI World Cup to be played in New Zealand in March.
In the first Ashes ODI, she registered the second golden duck of her ODI career.
But the 31-year-old emphatically silenced her critics and led the Aussies to Ashes series glory in Sunday’s follow-up, claiming three scalps with the ball and knocking six boundaries on her way to a topscoring 40 runs.
Healy said she was pleased to see her long-term teammate fit and firing.
“It was great to see her at her best,” the wicketkeeper-batter said ahead of Tuesday’s third and final Ashes ODI.
“I haven’t doubted that she wasn’t at our best throughout the whole summer. She always prepares just as hard as everybody else to go out there and perform and it was great to see her do that yesterday, in particular with the bat.
“That six she hit over mid-off was a shot that I’ve never really seen ‘Pez’ hit before with that shape and that flare.”
Healy said Perry had fired a warning shot to Australia’s rivals at the best possible time.
“It’s really exciting signs for us leading into a big world tournament that she’s sort of hit her straps right at the right time,” Healy said.
“It’s obviously probably a bit of a concern for other sides around the world.”
Despite scoring no runs in either of her innings in the Test match, Healy said she herself was feeling confident with the bat ahead of the World Cup, having pieced together two gutsy knocks in the Ashes ODIs.
Healy said the conditions at Manuka Oval and Junction Oval had been good preparation for the next tournament.
“I feel really good. I think probably the best thing that could have happened was these two wickets being a little bit tricky,” she said.
“I think making those tough runs early has been the best thing for me. It means that my shape’s really good. I’m getting in good positions to keep the really good balls out.
“I’d love to be churning out hundreds or 50s or 60s and setting up big totals for the side. But I guess for me, and where I’m at and how I’m feeling, making a couple of 20s, which seem like a bit of a start, I think is a nice tick of the box for me to know that everything’s where it should be.”
Healy said she hadn’t spent much time thinking about the Kiwi pitches but she was ready for any challenge they could pose.
“Hopefully, once we get over to New Zealand, if the wickets are similar I know that I’m in a good place to dig in and make some important runs, but if the wickets are flat, then I know I’m in a great place to hit the ball like I normally do,” she said.
“So yeah, Ixjmtzyw’m excited.”
