After Australia secured their latest series win on Tuesday, Alyssa Healy indicated the world champions would not rest in pursuit of achieving higher standards with next year’s World Twenty20 looming large.
Healy herself delivered a devastating answer 24 hours later when she entered the record books with a brutal 148 not out – the highest score by a woman in T20Is – to power Australia to a comprehensive 132-run victory and a clean sweep of the three-match series against Sri Lanka.
The wicketkeeper-batter was unstoppable at a sunny North Sydney Oval on Wednesday afternoon as she launched her personal assault on the Sri Lankan bowling attack, reaching a half century off 25 balls and 100 off just 46. In her 101st T20I, it was her maiden century and the fastest ever by an Australian man or woman – Aaron Finch held the previous record (47 balls) with Meg Lanning next on the list (53).
The milestone was brought up with a sweetly-struck straight six – one of seven throughout her innings – as Healy passed the previous benchmark of 133 set by Lanning against England at Chelmsford during the Ashes series earlier this year. Lanning was on hand to congratulate her teammate, having come to the crease after Rachael Haynes fell for 41 in the 17th over.
“It was just one of those days when everything seems to come out of the middle,” Healy said of her jaw-dropping innings. She finished with a flourish, hitting a final six in the last over to add to her 19 fours as Australia reached a massive total of 226-2.
Lanning was unbeaten on 10; Healy’s opening partner, Beth Mooney, made 14 before being bowled with the score on 59 by Chamari Athapaththu, who also claimed the scalp of Haynes.
In the face of such an imposing target, Sri Lankan hopes of chasing it down were slim and firmly rested on the shoulders of Atapattu, the visitors’ hero of the opening match of this series.
The captain and opener notched her own brilliant maiden T20I century on Sunday but there was to be no repeat in game three: she was bowled by Nicola Carey for 30 and with her departure went chances of an already unlikely upset.
Harshitha Madavi offered some resistance before being caught off the bowling of Carey for 28 by, who else, Healy. Tayla Vlaeminck also picked up two wickets as Sri Lanka mustered 94-7 off their 20 overs in response.
Australia will now look to extend their dominance over Sri Lanka in the shortest form of the game to the 50-over format, with a three-match one-day international series to get underway at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field on Saturday.
Scores:
Australia Women 226-2 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 148 n.o., Rachael Haynes 41, Chamari Atapattu 2/27)
Sri Lanka Women 94-7 in 20 overs (Chamari Atapattu 30, Harshitha Madavi 28 n.o., Nicola Carey 3/15)
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