A blistering century to Alyssa Healy has led Australia A to a consolation win the third one-day match with India A in Brisbane.
Healy showed she’s nearing peak condition again in her comeback from foot and knee issues as she capitalised on some good fortune to add a 10th List A century.
She finished the match with a straight six, her third of the innings, to finish on 137 not out off 84 balls at Brisbane’s Ian Healy Oval, to make light work of the run chase after India A were bowled out for 216.
India A had clinched the three-game series after wins in the first two matches, including a dramatic comeback in the second match, while the series now shifts to a one-off four-day match that begins Thursday.
Healy is not involved in that match, but the white-ball matches have more than served their purpose for the national captain on her return to playing in the Aussie winter.
A score of 91 in the second one-dayer was bettered here as Healy peppered all parts of the ground with 23 boundaries to go with her three sixes.
She was fortunate to survive beyond the fifth over when just on seven, dropped after flat-batting a pull shot to mid-wicket as the catch spilled when the fielder’s elbows hit the turf.
Further fortune followed when on 49 as a looped whip to the on-side was initially given out caught to a diving effort that was claimed by India’s fielder, much to Healy’s chagrin as she was heard to exclaim “no way!” over the stump mic.
A conversation between the umpires saw Healy recalled, and she made the bowling side pay as she raced towards three figures and the victory target, achieved in just the 28th over.
Healy was helped into her innings by the fast-starting Tahlia Wilson, who hit eight boundaries on her way to 59 in a 137-run opening stand before slog sweeping straight into the hands of deep mid-wicket.
The Australians’ day was somewhat soured by injury concerns, with Tess Flintoff forced from the field in some pain after she pulled up grabbing her left hamstring chasing a ball to the boundary, while quad soreness to fast bowler Darcie Brown also saw her off the park.
Neither player is involved in the four-day match later this week, but it did leave Australia short of bowling options today, opening the door for Anika Learoyd to show she is perhaps better than a part-timer with her leg-spin after being thrown the ball in the death overs.
Able to extract decent turn from the surface, Learoyd bowled the experienced India international Radha Yadav around her legs, to great delight from wicketkeeper Healy.
Learoyd picked up a second two balls later as No.10 Saima Thakor spooned a return catch and the NSW middle-order batter had doubled her List A wicket career tally to finish with 2-16 from three overs.
There were three wickets for senior star allrounder Tahlia McGrath, who brought herself on and got the breakthrough to remove Shafali Verma and break India A’s 86-run opening stand.
It sparked a mini collapse as India A lost three wickets in as many overs – Ella Hayward’s flight beating Nandini Kashyap before McGrath induced a nick from Tejal Hasabnis, who remonstrated towards the umpire after the finger was raised.
It was McGrath who broke the game open when she had Yastika Bhatia skying a catch for Healy to pouch, opening the door for another three quick wickets for the home side before Learoyd mopped up the tail.
Australia A coach Dan Marsh said there was “lots to like” from performances in the white-ball games, which also included a 3-0 sweep in T20 matches, highlighting the batting of Rachael Trenamen and Learoyd, while Lucy Hamilton and Ella Hayward caught the coach’s eye with the ball.
“Alyssa batted well today. All pre-season she’s been looking good and it was just nice to see her get some match practice and put that into place heading into India,” Marsh said, referencing the senior Australian side’s three ODIs in Mohali and Delhi next month that precede October’s 50-over World Cup.
“She’ll be really happy with her two weeks (with Australia A), will have a nice little rest at home now and be ready to go to India.”
Australia A v India A multi-format series
First T20: Australia A won by 13 runs
Second T20: Australia A won by 114 runs
Third T20: Australia A won by four runs
Australia A 50-Over squad: Tahlia McGrath (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Darcie Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Alyssa Healy, Anika Learoyd, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson
India A 50-over squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (WK), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat, Yastika Bhatia
First one-dayer: India A won by three wickets
Second one-dayer: India A won by two wickets
Third one-dayer: Australia A won by nine wickets
Australia A four-day squad: Tahlia Wilson (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Maitlan Brown, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb
India A four-day squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat
Only four-day match: August 21-24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 9:30am AEST
All matches live on cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports.
