Australia loses Twenty20 World Cup warm-up match to Ireland as Alyssa Healy returns fully from calf injury read full article at worldnews365.me

Alyssa Healy says there may be no trigger for panic from Australia’s all-conquering cricket girls as they enter the defence of their T20 World Cup off the again of an historic reverse.

Meg Lanning’s facet have been reminded of the issue of their quest for a world T20 three-peat by the unprecedented defeat to unfancied Eire of their remaining warm-up match in South Africa on Wednesday.

It could have solely been an unofficial match, with the Australians retiring well-set key batters like Healy and T20 participant of the yr Tahlia McGrath, whereas additionally utilizing seven bowlers — however it was nonetheless the primary time Australia’s all-conquering girls’s crew misplaced to the Irish, by three wickets at Stellenbosch College.

Vice-captain Healy, again in motion with a cracking half-century after only keeping wickets in the first warm-up against India, did job taking part in down the importance so near Saturday’s match opener towards New Zealand.

Requested if right here was any must panic, she insisted: “I don’t think so — if you remember back in New Zealand last year [before Australia’s 50-over World Cup triumph] we got absolutely pummelled by the Kiwis in a warm-up game — so nothing too stressful about that.

“We had some totally different choices at the moment, tried some various things all through the innings and as soon as we get our full-strength XI on the park of their particular roles on Saturday, I’ve acquired little question we’ll nail that.

“The group’s flying at the moment so, no, nothing to worry about today.”

As an alternative, Healy was pleased to salute Eire’s girls, who’ve been making an attempt to beat Australia at cricket for 26 years and eventually managed their maiden win on the twenty fourth try.

They chased down the Aussies’ formidable 5-168 with New Zealand-born Arlene Kelly proving the underdogs’ last-over hero as they battled to 7-169.

It was Kelly’s good-looking pushed six off McGrath with 5 balls left that basically did the injury, pushing Eire in the direction of the 9 they wanted off the ultimate six balls.

Nonetheless, Healy was eager to intensify the constructive, not least along with her personal batting.

Again from the calf injury she suffered in India in December, she hit 62 off 40 balls and smiled that she was “dirty” about being retired to let others have a remaining aggressive observe knock earlier than Australia’s tournament-opening conflict with New Zealand in Paarl on Sunday morning (AEDT).

“I felt really good out there,” she stated.

“I’ve only had about four batting sessions before I came away, so I’m chuffed I could get out there, just play the cricket shots I want to play and that’s come together. Hopefully, I can put it all together [against New Zealand].”

World primary T20 batter McGrath additionally made 56 off 47 earlier than she equally retired.

Ellyse Perry cashed in with an unbeaten 40 off 20 and although Beth Mooney had fallen for a golden duck, bowled by Orla Prendergast on the very first ball of the innings, Australia’s whole appeared to be comfortably sufficient.