Alyssa Healy set to retire with stunning cricket legacy, feature, history

The whisper spreading around the ‘Gong about the blonde pocket rocket behind the stumps with reflexes like a cat had become a roar by the time it reached Ellyse Perry’s ears.

At the turn of the millennium, the champion all-rounder was among a group of young girls participating in the New South Wales Primary School Sport Competition when she first crossed paths with Alyssa Healy.

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A kid on her school team had a secret. See that blonde girl over there on the other side of Dalton Park? That’s the niece of the Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy. And she’s an “absolute jet”.

It would not be a secret for long, so skilled behind the stumps was the little dynamo who went on to captain Australia and become one of the world’s finest players, a champion who bids farewell to the international stage in Perth this weekend.

Nor would it be long before Perry and Healy, by virtue of their exceptional sporting talents, become as thick as thieves who would “get up to all sorts of mischief” as kids.

Most of that mischief was inflicted on rivals as Healy and Perry combined in touch football, soccer and, of course, cricket for the NSW Breakers, the Sydney Sixers and Australia.

Healy was swift with a nickname for Perry, whose uniforms always seemed way too large for her frame when she was a kid, though the tag “Dags” she applied now seems inconceivable when applied to the Aussie star.

Perry responded in kind with “Pudd”, the nickname bestowed by Healy’s mum Sandy, because as the retiring champion once said; “I used to be a short, fat little thing.”

But as Perry told foxsports.com.au about Healy, such was her great mate’s feistiness, she would not have been brave enough to call her too many other names when they were girls.

“She scared me most of the time, especially when we were kids. She was kind of like my big sister, I guess. And it’s been really cool to have that,” she said.

“Midge and my story through cricket has been pretty phenomenal. I can’t think of too many other cases where we have literally played in the same team as each other since we were nine-years-old through to where we are now. It is a really cool thread that has been through both of our careers.”

Perry soon learned that Healy was extremely loyal. Her family mattered most. And she was tough, which she had to be, for only a couple of years after their meeting as kids the Healys suffered a devastating tragedy.

The Aussie champion was 12 when her elder sister Kareen, 15, died after going into anaphylactic shock. But her resilience soon shone through.

“I suppose one of the lessons we’ve learned throughout traumatic experiences we’ve had as a family is resilience, being able to pick yourself up after every knock down and pull yourself up ready to go again the next day,” Sandy Healy told Code Sports in January when Healy announced her pending retirement.

“That’s a very important lesson for our kids to learn. We can’t protect them from everything. This was a really horrible situation our family endured, but somehow we helped each other through and we are now standing here proudly celebrating all the many years Alyssa’s had playing cricket for Australia. It’s so wonderful, just wonderful.”

THE CHAMPION WITH THE SPARK TO MATCH

There would be few who would disagree with that assessment of Healy, whose decorated career comes to an end at the WACA in a Test against India. She arrives in brilliant form, having scored her eighth WODI century last week against India.

But a quick recap of her resume just for the record, just to underline the superstar “Pudd” grew up to be.

Australian Captain. Belinda Clark Award recipient. A dual-ICC T20 Cricketer of the Year. She led an Ashes whitewash just last year and featured in a Commonwealth Games gold medal winning team, along with multiple World Cup successes.

As a colleague said this week, she remembered Ian Healy telling her when they were both working for the Nine Network a decade or so ago that; “People once knew Alyssa as Ian’s niece. Now I’m just known as Alyssa’s uncle.”

No-one, man or woman, has executed more dismissals in T20 cricket than Healy.

That is an important thing to note because for a while there were a handful of fossils who thought Healy was less than wonderful after she was named Barker College wicketkeeper.

A girl wicketkeeping in a boys’ team? Could she handle the pace? And what about when she was batting? Those were some of the concerns raised in an email and letter campaign from an old boy when she was a shining light at school.

But Steven Thomlinson, who played 199 grade cricket games for Balmain and later coached at Barker College before his current role with Briars Cricket, knew she was a special talent.

“I suppose it was a big decision, but it was an easy decision,” Thomlinson told The Australian just before the pandemic hit.

“The guidelines for CAS cricket said girls were eligible to play (and) co-coach Andrew Payne and I said she was good enough to play, so we played her. The negative comments were irrelevant to us.

“Not only was she an actual champion, but with Alyssa in the team, we won the competition. So it wasn’t a token (act) that we had a girl. We were the champions.

“Watching her play now, you’re full of pride knowing she’s a Barker girl and you were involved with her development as a cricketer.”

When Ash Barty was roaming the world as the No.1 tennis player, coaches around the country reported a significant surge in the number of young girls taking lessons.

The impact of the champion cricket team Healy has featured in and captained has also been substantial, with the superstars inspiring a new generation of talented Australians led by star all-rounder Annabel Sutherland.

Perry said it was worth noting Healy assumed a broader responsibility when captaining Australia and was determined to help foster the development of the game and inspire younger players to pursue their dreams.

“I think one thing that Midge has really done is take on responsibility, not just for our team, but the whole game,” she said.

“I think she’s really, you know, works quite tirelessly, actually, in that space, in terms of, like, making sure that, like, our team and our sport is being promoted. I think she speaks quite passionately about that on lots of different platforms. And I think as a playing group, we really feel that.

“We know how much she wants our team to be successful and keep paving the way forward, I guess. So she shouldered a lot of responsibility in that, in that space, and I think it’s something in a lot of ways that, one, she’s very good at, and two, gives her a lot of energy as well in representing us. So yeah, it’s been cool to say that for Midge.”

Hannah Darlington, who missed the most recent WBBL season with a knee injury, has played a couple of games for Australia and most recently represented Australia A.

The 24-year-old served as a deputy to Healy at the Sydney Breakers for a period and said the retiring champion’s ability to remain true to herself helped the growth of young players.

As for the feistiness and cheekiness Perry noted when they were kids? Even towards retirement Healy still loved the chance to be mischievous if the opportunity arose.

“Midge was the captain of the Breakers when I first came in and I was vice-captain under her for a couple of years and I think what I learned the most from Midge was the fact that she’s just herself at every possible point,” Darlington told foxsports.com.au.

“You don’t know whether she’s in captain mode, or pest mode, or whatnot. And that’s the biggest thing she taught me, I think, as a leader, (that it is important) just to be your most authentic self, and she does that in the best possible way.

“So I love that she’s a big kid … because I think it proves that if you’re yourself, you (ultimately) play your best cricket at the end of the day.

“They are incredible achievements that she’s been able to make. (She was) definitely someone who is a pest to play against, but also a really cool teammate to have.”

THE BIG MATCH SPECIALIST

Australian legend Meg Lanning laughed when she was asked at the start of this season whether it would be better to play alongside Healy than against her given her competitiveness.

“(I’d want her) in my team, for sure, because she’s a very destructive player,” she said.

“The game changes very quickly when she’s out there at the crease. So, for sure, I’d much prefer her on my team. She’s shown over a long period of time, and particularly in big games at World Cups, that she’s able to come to the party and dominate.”

As a member of eight World Cup winning teams, Healy produced some blinders for her country including an explosive innings in arguably the most significant women’s match played.

The atmosphere at the MCG on March 8, 2020, was a blend between celebratory and also extreme nervousness given the importance of the occasion for women’s cricket but also the fact the Covid-19 pandemic was about to be confirmed.

Despite that, a record 86,714 fans for a women’s cricket match attended the ground for the T20 Final against India held on International Women’s Day in a historic occasion.

Healy set the tone for a phenomenal occasion by smashing the first ball of the decider for four on the way to scoring an electric 75 from just 39 balls in an innings that included three straight sixes.

Delhi-born fan Mihika Khetarpal, who had lived in Melbourne for 16 years, was among the fans this writer spoke to at the MCG during Healy’s remarkable knock and was she was understandably blown away by it all.

“My husband didn’t want to come. He wanted to rest and relax. But it is women’s day and I am sure he is enjoying it now,” she told this reporter that night.

“I would never have imagined it would be like this. I was not expecting it at all. It is an even better atmosphere than a men’s game.”

Healy set the World Cup party rocking and later joined Billie Jean King, the tennis icon who led the fight for equal pay in women’s sport, and singer Katy Perry on stage to celebrate.

The Aussie star, who left the MCG to a standing ovation, later declared; “That was the best day I have ever had, hands down.”

“We’ve been pushing the letter for a while and to see 86,000 people here is so exciting,” she said.

There was a period in the infancy of Healy’s international career where Aussie selectors ever wondered whether she could produce brilliant performances with the bat consistently.

It was not until the record-breaking wicketkeeper was promoted to the top of the order that her full capabilities came to the fore, with the Sydneysider frequently setting a winning tone.

A couple of years later she delivered another rip-snorter in a World Cup final when scoring 170 against England in Christchurch, which followed a century in the semi-final as well.

Healy, who joined Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene as the only players to score consecutive centuries in the knockout phase of an ICC tournament, was explosive.

She scored her century at a run-a-ball pace and then added another 70 in just 38 balls. It is the highest score in a World Cup final, a record previously set by Adam Gilchrist in 2007.

Even as the injuries mounted in recent years, Healy remained a force, with last week’s ton another example.

While Australia fell short of winning the most recent World Cup in October, she was a force at the top of the order, scoring 142 against India in a record run chase and an unbeaten 113 against Bangladesh a few days later.

Her fourth century in an ODI World Cup was a new Aussie record.

“If you’ve been watching me in the nets, it’s been a frustrating experience, because I feel like I’ve had no rhythm whatsoever,” she said at the time.

“(I’ve been) struggling to find it and I didn’t really know where it went before I came into the World Cup. But I think once you step out on the field, your competitive instincts kick in and you kind of just lock-in to getting into the contest.”

A FEARLESS LEADER

Some leaders carry the ability to make their teammates walk taller and Healy is blessed with that trait.

Ash Gardner said that during the retiring star’s reign as captain, she had a fearless streak and was willing to allow those playing under her freedom to pursue their strengths.

“The best thing with Midge is that she always is really fearless in the way that she approaches her cricket,” she said.

“I think the times that I’ve been a captain of a team, you have to sometimes just go with your gut and I think that takes a bit of a fearless approach. And I think that’s the best thing about Midge, is like, ‘This is what the best thing can happen right now, and this is my decision and I’m going to back it’, and I want you guys to support me along the way with this decision.”

Beth Mooney, who partnered with Healy in some of her famous innings and will replace her behind the stumps, said the secret to her success was her belief that she could always improve, even when on top of the world.

“You would see her in the nets all the time, tinkering with her batting, tinkering with her wicketkeeping,” she said.

“It would have been probably easy for her in the last couple of years to maybe think about stepping away from the game with all the injuries (she has had), but she’s come back and just wanted to keep improving and to get fitter and get better.

“That’s a sign of someone that wants to be here and wants to contribute and have success with this team. So she’s been amazing.”

Australian great Mike Hussey, who has shared the Fox Cricket commentary box alongside Healy for the past two summers, said she has set an incredible example for others to follow.

“You talk about her playing legacy and it’s going to be massive,” he told Fox Cricket’s podcast The Follow On.

“I mean, she has been a huge part of arguably the most successful Australian cricket team of all time with the amount of World Cups they’ve won, the amount of success they’ve had, the amount of games they’ve won. It’s incredible. And I know there’s other players in the team as well, but she’s been one of the four or five core key players.

“I think that’s probably what her legacy is going to be. One, as a great player, but also being part of, arguably, one of our greatest teams of all time, you know.”

FROM THE CREASE TO THE COMMS BOX

When reflecting on her leadership in a chat with foxsports.com.au late last year, Healy felt she had blossomed as a person as well and is grateful for what the captaincy role did for her cricket and also for what lies ahead.

“It’s been a really enjoyable journey, the captaincy, though I think probably I didn’t appreciate how big the role was,” she said.

“So for me … learning a lot about myself, learning a lot about other people, and probably how they react to me and in the way that I respond to situations … I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself and that’s been a really cool process to go through at the age I am now, and I think they’re really valuable skills that you can take into life moving forward, which is really exciting, but I guess leading that next generation has been an interesting (challenge).

“How I interact with people from day to day on tour, in particular, I’ve probably had to dive into that a little bit and sort of … be really conscious of those interactions, what that means to a younger player and what might be a bit daunting and what’s not. So it’s been interesting to learn about it, but I’ve really enjoyed sort of that growth as a human being as well.”

While Healy will hang up her gloves, don’t expect the competitive fire to diminish, nor for her to walk away from either the sporting arena or desert the crease. It is part of her core.

The champion has talked regularly about the battles she and her husband Mitchell Starc share on the links and retirement will give her more time to work on her handicap.

Well before the announcement of her pending retirement in January, she was making impressive inroads in broadcasting for Fox Cricket and in the podcasting world as well.

Hussey, who is delighted that Healy’s farewell will come in his home state at a ground he loves, said she is a natural in the commentary box and that will ensure future cricketers can learn from her wisdom.

“I remember when I was first trying to make that transition into the comms box and you pretty much just got thrown in there,” he said.

“You go and you say, ‘How does this all work? What do I talk about? What do I know?’ And they tell you, ‘You’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about it.’

“And Alyssa has just fitted in like a glove. She’s just cruised in. I think she’s just got a great personality for it and I think it is testament to her character.

“She’s just a good person. She can have a laugh. She can take the mickey out of herself. She understands the game really well, so she can give a really good analysis. She’s very articulate in getting her message across as well. So I think she’s the perfect package, really, to make that transition into the commentary box.”

Hussey said that what Healy had been so good at on the field made her invaluable as an analyst as well.

“You can see why she’s been such a great player on the field as well. She’s obviously got a lot of talent. She knows the game extremely well. She worked hard on her game,” he said.

“She can have a laugh, because you need to have a laugh sometimes at this game, because it just brings you back down to earth and smacks you in the face sometimes. So she seems like she’s got a great level head on her. As in, nothing phases her too much. And I think that served her well throughout her playing career. She does it with ease.”

With Australia have already clinched a hard-fought series against India, one last challenge at the crease awaits the champion. Given her history, it would not surprise to see her finish with a flourish and, in the manner Lanning always loved about her, “come to the party and dominate”.