Alyssa Healy: The Hundred has exceeded my expectations

KATYA WITNEY: Healy, who missed the 2021 edition due to Covid restrictions and didn't quite know all of the rules ahead of her first match, opens up on the impact of the tournament, the pressure on overseas players and adjusting to new conditions

The indisputable positive of the first Hundred tournament was the acceleration it gave to the women's game, but there was one gaping hole left to fill: Australians.

Strict Covid-19 quarantine requirements were still in place in Australia last year and a tour with India was set for soon after the end of the competition. It meant 11 of the biggest names in world cricket withdrew from their Hundred contracts before the tournament started.

However, with a Commonwealth Games leading into this year's competition and gold medals around their necks, the Australian contingent couldn't have arrived in The Hundred in better condition.

For the Northern Superchargers, their riches of overseas top-order batting experience was bolstered by Alyssa Healy, and with Jemimah Rodrigues succumbing to a hand injury halfway through the tournament her role became even more important.

After watching the tournament from her home in New South Wales last year and seeing the benefits it brought globally to the women's game, her expectations were high arriving at Headingley, a familiar stomping ground for her having played there in the KSL and for Yorkshire.

^{Healy arrived in The Hundred shortly after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games [Ryan Pierse/Getty Images]}

"I wasn't sure what to expect," said Healy. "Walking out into that first game I didn't completely know the rules but we rolled with it. It exceeded my expectations because, especially with double headers, it seems that format works really well over here. We've moved away from it in the WBBL to give the women's game its own identity but the way the franchises are set up over here it works really well.

"Watching it from afar last time, it was just cool to see everyone enjoying themselves in a new version of the game. I feel like it's grown even more this year, even just looking at the crowds that the women's game is pulling. It's doing wonders for the girls over here and I guess having some great international players come across and work with them is only going to do wonders for their game."

The impact of the Australian players being able to fulfil their Hundred contracts as well as the introduction of a bonus overseas player to each squad has propelled the women's competition to build on its success. It's built a competition for places which has seen Dane van Niekerk displaced as the Oval Invincibles captain and six non-English players occupy positions in the top-ten highest run-scorers across the competition. Three out of the top five wicket-takers are also overseas players.

Despite Healy's own performances not being as consistent as she would have liked and Superchargers now out of contention for the eliminator, her presence in the squad alongside Laura Wolvaardt and the now-injured Rodrigues has bolstered its star quality.

"From a global game perspective, I think it's enabling these young English players the opportunity to mix and mingle with and against the best players in the world," said Healy. "It's been awesome and hopefully everybody's got something out of it, whether that be the young English players or a 32-year-old Aussie who's come over and wanted to experience it."

5 matches

112 runs at 22.40

153.42 SR

HS 46 v Birmingham Phoenix

With more than double last year's money on offer in contracts for the women's competition in 2022, and franchises springing up around the world, overseas players have added pressure to provide a return investment in the form of runs and wickets.

"From my point of view, I probably wasn't in the greatest of form coming in and wanting to contribute to the team's success is high on my priority list," said Healy.

"There's always a little added pressure being the overseas player and taking the top contracts. You want to be out there and winning games for your side so when it doesn't quite happen it's frustrating.

"But that's all part of the modern women's game that we're going to have to get used to dealing with a little bit more."

For the Australian players who are used to dominating the global game, The Hundred has also presented a new environment to excel in. With the WBBL, the premier short-form competition, played on home soil for them, playing overseas is a welcome change in scenery and structure for players who are part of such a well-oiled machine.

"It's been different to adjust to how cricket is operated and played over here," said Healy. "You're on a bus every second day driving around the country to go to different destinations, we jump on a flight and travel for half a day. That's been a new challenge and I guess something that I've had to deal with even from a recovery and training point of view.

^{Healy believes there is additional pressure on overseas players to perform [Ashley Allen/Getty Images]}

"From the cricket perspective, The Hundred is obviously a little bit more frantic but in saying that it's been super exciting, and I think potentially next year having even more diversity of the international players is going to make it an even better contest."

The fast-paced and busy schedule of franchise and international cricket doesn't stop for many of the players involved in The Hundred. The inaugural season of the women's CPL starts on Wednesday and a high-profile series between England and India is due to start next week, as well as the conclusion of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and several other international series next month. When the Australian women finally head home after a substantial summer on English soil, more competition also awaits them.

"Heading home I've got some domestic cricket with captaining New South Wales," said Healy. "The WBBL is the next big one and Charlotte Edwards is our [Sydney] Sixers coach this year so I'm looking forward to having a little bit of English flare in our side, hopefully, we can have some success there."

More cricket and exposure to some of the brightest minds in the game, whether that be players or coaches, certainly adds another layer of success to the growing franchise section of international women's cricket.

Across the world, young players are being exposed to the best and most experienced players and it's contributing to the development of an exciting generation of cricketers worldwide. In England, this has taken the form of Alice Capsey and Issy Wong among others.

But, as Healy said earlier, whether it be young players or 32-year-old Australians, franchise cricket and The Hundred has brought something for everyone involved in the game, even if it brings its own minor problems.

"I worry about going home and playing 50-over cricket," said Healy with a chuckle. "It's going to be a really tough slog out there for a couple of hours after this."