Alyssa Healy blasts Australia past New Zealand and into WWT20 semi-finals

“You come at the king,” declared The Wire’s beloved Omar Little when addressing a failed assassin, “you best not miss.” Replace king with queen, and that’s just what Amelia Kerr did when putting down the easiest of chances to dismiss Alyssa Healy in the third over of Australia’s innings. The red-hot opener needed no further invitation to smash yet another half-century, laying the foundation for a 33-run win to sew up the three-times champions’ World Twenty20 semi-final berth.

The White Ferns rallied commendably with the ball and later with the bat after slumping to 13-3 in pursuit of 153-7, but Healy’s sharp gloves – with a rapid stumping then a brilliant catch – killed off the resistance to all-but end the Kiwis’ campaign in straight sets.

The defining early moment came when Healy was on 11, skying an edge to point off Sophie Devine. When Kerr, the teenage leg-spinner, fumbled, every New Zealand head dropped for they knew what was likely to come given the Australian’s last six weeks. Since the start of October, she has now passed 50 a remarkable six times in eight T20 innings. To put that into perspective, no woman has ever made more than six half-centuries in an entire year.

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With exquisite timing through cover when the field was up, then lofting through the same gaps once they dropped back, Healy looked every bit the in-form player on the planet as she compiled her 53 in 38 balls, striking eight boundaries along the way. Her 413 runs across this most purple of patches have come at an average of 69 and a strike rate of 154.

When former captain Suzie Bates (48) joined with Katie Martin for a stand of 66 in 51 balls after New Zealand lost three wickets in the first three overs of their reply, they looked momentarily back in business. But Healy was having none of that, whipping the bails off when the latter was on 24 to make it 79-4 and requiring something special.

But instead, with the partnership broken, the final six wickets fell for 26 runs; Amy Satterthwaite’s team were bowled out for just 120 in the 18th over. In a fine all-round effort, all six Australian bowlers used got into the book with swing machine Megan Schutt topping and tailing the innings with 3-12.

After the South Australian made the initial incision with her fourth ball, trapping Anna Petersen before scoring, Ellyse Perry made a bigger dent with her third ball, screaming through Devine’s defences to bend back her middle stump, also for a duck.

Having been dropped down the batting list to No 7 for this tournament, the all-rounder bowled with serious pace and accuracy to issue a timely reminder of why she was voted The Guardian’s top women’s cricketer in the world in June this year.

Speaking when receiving her third player of the match award in a row, Healy reflected on how she had developed her game following Australia’s disappointing World Cup exit last year. “I think I matured after that little bit,” she said. “I just went back and worked really hard and opened up a new area of the ground to access if need be.”

Following Healy’s 71-run stand with Beth Mooney (26) – the fifth time in seven innings that the pair have made it through the power play unscathed – Australia’s innings failed to maintain that pace or purpose, losing seven wickets for 82 in their final 70 balls. Earning the false stroke to get New Zealand going, albeit belatedly, spinner Leigh Kasperek also dismissed Ash Gardner and Perry in similar fashion to become the second fastest bowler to 50 T20 international wickets.

However, with any momentum sucked out of the chase by the time Sophie Molineux claimed Australia’s third wicket with the score was 13, only one result was probable. It is a devastating result for a golden generation of White Ferns who saw this as a chance to finally make their presence felt at a major tournament after poor showings in recent years.

As for Australia, they can put their feet up until their final group game on Saturday (Sunday AEDT), knowing that they will travel to Antigua next week with a chance to regain the trophy that they lost two years ago. “The girls will appreciate the rest it has been really busy six weeks away of home,” Healy said. “So we’ll chill out and look forward to playing India.”