Australia is sweating on Alyssa Healy’s health after the star opener missed the ultimate pool recreation towards match hosts South Africa with a quad pressure.
She is now doubtful for Friday morning’s World Cup semi-final in what could be an enormous blow given she smashed scores of 55, 37 and 54 not out within the opening three matches in a surprising return from a calf damage that saved her out for seven weeks.
Batting star Talia McGrath, who guided Australia to a fourth-straight match victory and the place in Thursday’s knock-out, mentioned it was hoped Healy could be prepared.
“We knew she‘d have a little sort of fitness test this morning, but it was more of a precautionary measure with coming off a serious calf injury and with a pretty hectic schedule,” McGrath mentioned after her brutal 57 off 33 which included 10 boundaries.
“So yeah, we expect her to be fully fit and ready to go for us in the semi-finals.
“We‘ve got such a strong, strong squad here and we’re playing some really good cricket, but four wins means nothing when you get to knockout finals.
“So, we’re going to have to be at our best and there’s some quality teams in the competition. So yeah, like I said, we go in full of confidence, but it’s also going to be really difficult.”
Australia has the weaponry to cowl her ought to she miss the grand ultimate qualifier, with the defending champions exhibiting their may with a complete six-wicket victory as they chased down South Africa’s 6/124 with 21 balls to spare.
Beth Mooney donned the gloves in Healy’s absence and took two catches, whereas Ellyse Perry was promoted to the highest of the order the place she hit a few boundaries earlier than she was dismissed by former Sixers teammate Marizanne Kapp.
OOH AAH TAHLIA MCGRATH
The run chase appeared pretty shaky when Mooney obtained out to go away the Aussies 3/40 after seven overs, however there was no want to fret with a few world-class all-rounders on deck to steer them house.
Ashleigh Gardner continued her stellar kind with a affected person 28 off 29 but it surely was McGrath’s time along with her match-winning innings.
“I seem to thrive in difficult situations and I‘m no good in the easier ones, but I just love a challenge, she said.
“ I love the fight. And yeah, like I said, I keep it pretty simple when it’s a tense situation out there. I keep it pretty simple and it seems to be working for me at the moment. So yeah, I’ll just roll with it.”
It was a well timed knock from McGrath who had been starved of alternatives within the first three video games, scoring eight in her solely innings within the match opener towards New Zealand.
But she made essentially the most of a uncommon stint within the center to bludgeon the South African bowlers to all elements of the bottom to indicate why she and Gardner had been two of essentially the most wanted gamers on the Women’s Premier League public sale.
GEORGIA ON MY MIND
Selectors now have just a few days to decide on their line-up for a possible showdown with India within the semi-final, and whereas the batting appears fairly easy, the spin debate continues to be up within the air.
Alana King has been the dominant possibility for the previous 12 months but it surely’s going to be onerous to go away Georgia Wareham out of the aspect after she continued her stellar return from an ACL damage.
She took 2-18 on Sunday morning and has now taken six wickets within the match, with spin doing the majority of the harm for the Australians.
There is a world during which King, Wareham, Gardner and Jess Jonassen may all play within the finals, however that will imply having to go away a tempo bowler out which might drive Perry and McGrath to select up a number of the slack with the ball.
Source: www.news.com.au
