Alyssa Healy eager to experience Roses rivalry

Healy is no stranger to county cricket's best fixture having accompanied husband Mitchell Starc to Leeds when he played for Yorkshire's men in 2012

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Australian star Alyssa Healy can't wait to get amongst the Roses rivalry when Yorkshire Diamonds tackle Lancashire Thunder in Tuesday's Kia Super League clash at Liverpool, starting at 2.30pm.

Healy, 29, is no stranger to county cricket's best fixture having accompanied husband Mitchell Starc to Leeds when he played for Yorkshire's men in 2012.

Now, she gets a taste of it from the other side of the boundary rope against a Lancashire side who completed the double over them last year.

Healy is one of the shining lights in the women's game at present. 

Prior to scoring 266 runs in the recent Ashes win, Healy was also named player of the tournament at the World T20 in the Caribbean late last year and then scooped the Belinda Clark Medal for Cricket Australia’s player of the year for 2018.

The wicketkeeper-bat said: "It's a massively exciting rivalry, which I'm looking forward to being a part of.

"Being from Sydney, we have a big Sixers v Thunder rivalry in the Big Bash. I know what that one's all about, but this one is probably amplified a bit because of all the history.

"It's an exciting rivalry to watch when you come over here, but to play in it will be pretty cool."

When Yorkshire play Lancashire, friends instantly become enemies, which is the case for Healy and Thunder head coach Mark McInnes.

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Healy was named player of the tournament at the World T20

Both work together at home in Australia for the all-conquering New South Wales Breakers side, where McInnes is their batting and spin bowling coach.

"I have done a lot of work with Mark over the last couple of seasons, which means he will be well informed as to how I’m going to play," admitted Healy.

"But I'll be looking forward to that battle. It's always really good beating your mates. I've worked with him over the last 12-18 months, and he's a great coach.

"Mark's been around the women's game for a while now. 

"He was really good for Alex Blackwell towards the back end of her career. There was a noticeable change with her intent with the bat and the areas she could hit.

"She speaks a lot about her power hitting and his influence on that."

Healy says her game is in excellent order at present after a productive pre-season in Sydney and not just during the Ashes.

"I feel like I've been hitting the ball alright for the last 12 months, and it's just about capitalising on that when you can," she said, having scored 31 and nine in the Diamonds' first two KSL games - both defeats. 

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"I'm excited to be here and to keep playing cricket after the Ashes. It was a logical decision to stay and not go home to just train.

"I was able to take a bit of time in the pre-season just gone to focus on some technical things in my game and make myself a bit more solid. I've been able to do that.

"If I can maintain that technique and still strike the ball how I want to, I can play a role for this group."

While Yorkshire have lost both of their games so far, at home against Surrey and Loughborough, the latter at Emerald Headingley yesterday (Sunday), Lancashire have lost their first three games.

They have been beaten by Southern Vipers, Surrey Stars and Western Storm.

The Lancashire game is the first of two in three days for the Diamonds, with Western Storm visiting York on Thursday. 

It is hoped England star Katherine Brunt will be made available this week after being rested on the ECB’s request as they continue to manage a long-standing back problem.

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

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