ANALYSIS
Follow UsAlyssa Healy, you beauty!
Alyssa Healy and World Cup finals: A match made in heaven.
Well, we are running short of superlatives to describe one of the most remarkable innings in the history of women's sport as Alyssa Healy has single-handedly powered Australia to their seventh world title in the fifty-over format.
After a month of riveting action between the top eight sides of world cricket, it was down to the final match involving two fiercest rivals in the history of the game, Australia and England, who were vying for the coveted trophy at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
While the two old foes rekindled their rivalry in the bid for the ultimate prize, it was Healy's monumental knock of 170 that propelled Australia to script history under the night sky of New Zealand.
After a sedate start to this edition of the extravaganza, Healy has come into her own by notching up her maiden hundred in the World Cup against West Indies in the semi-finals of the competition and followed it up with one of the most destructive innings in the summit clash of the World Cup.
On a bright and sunny afternoon, Heather Knight had no hesitation in electing to field first. While the toss went in favour of England, things seemed to go downhill for them as Rachael Haynes, and Alyssa Healy forged a crucial 160-run stand for the first wicket to help Australia settle some nerves.
While the scorecard suggests the sheer dominance of Healy, it was Haynes who absorbed all the pressure against a hostile bowling spell of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole in the first six overs of the innings.
With patience and absolute assurance in her defensive technique, Haynes weathered the storm to help Australia get off to a steady start after early jitters.
The 35-year old, in all likelihood, was plying trade in her last World Cup match and played one of the most defining innings of her career to help Healy at the other end get into her groove.
The southpaw made optimum use of the short deliveries bowled by the reigning champions to score 62 out of her 68 runs square of the wicket on either side of the ground.
And just when Australia were aiming for a rapid finish, the left-handed batter perished for 68, bringing an end to a sublime first wicket partnership.
Despite the stutter, Alyssa Healy continued to enthrall the fans with delightful strokes all around the ground. After taking some time to settle down on the fresh wicket, Healy took the attack to the off-spin of Charlie Dean to find her timing and kickstart her dominance.
The 32-year old smashed her second successive World Cup hundred as she rocked back to get a single off Sophie Ecclestone to deep cover to become the only player to score centuries in the semi-finals and the finals of the mega event.
After breaching her milestone, there was no stopping Healy as she launched an onslaught on the opposition bowling unit to add 70 more runs in 38 balls at a strike rate of 184.2. With scores of 129 and 170 in the knockout matches, Healy recorded the most runs for a player in a single edition of the World Cup, ending the tournament with 509 runs.
With a record-breaking 170, Healy laid a foundation for Australia to score a mammoth 356 in their quota of 50 overs. However, the job was only half-done for the Australian side heading into the second innings.
"We knew we had put a pretty good total on the board, but we knew their lineup, and they were peaking at the right time," reveals Alyssa Healy on the plans in the huddle before they stepped onto the field.
Well, Healy was absolutely right as England, especially Natalie Sciver, did give Australia a bit of a nightmare as she played one of the most defining innings in the run chase to keep the defending champions alive.
The vice-captain of the England side scored an unbeaten 148 studded with 15 boundaries and a solitary six of the game, but unfortunately for her and the whole of England fans, she was the lone warrior for the side.
"I am super proud of the group on how we managed to turn things around and be within a shot of winning, said the skipper in a post-match interview.
Despite falling short by 71 runs in the summit clash, England can well and truly be proud of the turnaround they have managed after losing three on the trot early in the competition.
However, tonight wasn't just meat to be for Knight and her girls as they were up against very special innings from Healy that will be etched in the memory of every cricket-loving fan.
