8 March - Tauranga - Australia player Alyssa Healy post-match press conference

Hey guys, thanks for joining us. We'll go Alyssa first tonight and then Amanda Jade Wellington afterwards -

Reporter: How did you see that one from the sidelines, it looked like a professional job from you know, over one to the end?

Alyssa: Yeah, it was obviously just my seat at the wheel. I mean, that's as simple as we can put it and Obviously nice to spend 50 overs in the field and for us batters to get a red hot crack as well. So, yeah, professional performance, obviously yeah, there are some things we can still take out of it. But obviously, it was nice, especially from a batting point of view, for people to get out there and some interesting conditions to get some runs under their belt.

Reporter: Why it’s so interesting?

Alyssa: It was just turning a bit and then obviously the third game on that wicket - it was probably playing exactly how we thought it was going to - a little bit lower at the back end and spun a bit. So it's nice to get conditions that you don't play in all the time and be able to adjust I think it's some great learnings for our group and hopefully in Wellington on the weekend. We can cash in on.

Reporter: That wicket is interesting for both fielding and batting for you, cause you come in to Alana King obviously, who's just lit the tournament up so far. How's it been to her and she really could be anything in this tournament.

Alyssa: Yeah, she's just a really good spinner. And I thought bowled incredibly well today as well. And Jess Jonassen fought back really well as well. So it was just a really good all round performance from our spin group. And I guess from my point of view, I've just got to make sure I'm switched on 100% of the time - you can't really get caught napping behind the stumps because they keep creating opportunities. So it's good fun too. It's exhausting because they're very, very good at the job - but it's a lot of fun to keep behind the stumps as well.

Reporter: Having Willow and King in the team tonight - is that something that you enjoy the challenge of keeping up to those spinners?

Alyssa: Yeah Definitely, they're both very different leg spinners. Obviously, King really prides herself on really attacking the stumps and challenging both sides of the bat and really just bowls at 100 - which is hard to play most of the time. So yeah, it's a real challenge for me behind the stumps - so id imagine it's a real challenge for the batters and thinking particularly today, I thought they bowled really, really well to the left handed Bismah - I thought they really were able to tie her down and that's really pleasing knowing what they can do against the right hander. So it was pretty good performance.

Reporter: And that's an advantage for your team that you can assess the conditions and then bring someone like Wello into the team when you need and she can just step up and get the job done.

Alyssa: Yeah, it's amazing. We've prided ourselves on our depth for a long period of time. Yeah, I mean, you look at Sophie Molineux and Georgia we’re missing at home, injured and we can bring in the likes of Alana and Willow into our side that can just take the ball and know what they're doing and get the job done. It's been really impressive over the last probably two years that we've been able to do that and it shows we’re doing something right at the domestic level that these guys are just ready to go and it's really exciting.

Reporter: And we saw you in the net for a fair while yesterday. How are you feeling about your own form - and feel good out in the middle today?

Alyssa: I was exhausted doing a double rotation in the nets, I was absolutely - but yeah look - maybe we played some yesterday, the wickets were actually pretty similar. They ragged a little bit yesterday, so that was good and it didn't feel comfortable at any point today. So I guess that's a positive for me leading into the rest of the tournament - to back myself to make those scratchy runs and hopefully when things get going I can get some more flow about my batting and bat like I know I can.

Reporter: And were you feeling fully fit out there today. It looked a little bit like you grabbed a hit in the thigh or something at one point?

Alyssa: Yeah, it's fine. It's just getting a little bit older - nah just slipped taking off for quick single so should be completely fine for Saturday,

Reporter: And when you look back to how your role in this team has changed from the last World Cup- can you reflect on that a little bit? I know you made 50 against Pakistan last World Cup too and in very different circumstances.

Alyssa: Yeah. It's just come full circle. I feel. I mean, I said it to Moon’s the other day, I feel like it's just completely flipped roles. So yeah, it's obviously been a really enjoyable the last five years of my ODI career in particular, and I really wanted to come into this this world tournament and really make an impact and get our side into a winning position more often than not, and Rachael Haynes did it the other night and we batter totally were able to do that. So, yeah, it's obviously nice to be a part of this batting group where it's just an enjoyable group to be a part of.

Reporter: And I think a few people commented at different points that the batting group didn’t feel like they’d fully stepped up in the last little period leading into the World Cup. Do you think they're trying to do that now?

Alyssa: Yeah, I mean, the beauty of it is we can't all be firing at one point in time, but we back ourselves to pick up where someone else left off. And I mean, you look at the other day, I felt like I was hitting the ball really well early, and then sort of Rach picked up after that and Meg came in took a bit of pressure off Rach And then Rach went on and made 130. And I think that's just the beauty of our lineup that we sort of take the pressure off one another and it's a really, really strong top six, and then you throw in what we've got after that, and it's a really explosive, middle and low order.

So it is our strength and we back our bowling attack to be able to defend whatever our batting group can get. So yeah - look, we're playing some really good cricket and hopefully we can continue doing that right through the tournament.

Reporter: Oh, I just wondered if you could sort of expand on a fact or theorize on the fact that there seem to be so many good spinners in women's cricket – if Ash Gardener hadn't been locked away in a hotel room. You could have played four spinners today with two or more quality spinners at home.

Alyssa: Yeah, I can't really expand on it - I don't know where they’ve all come from, well, they've all just been working away and domestic cricket and doing the right things and like I said, we're doing something right at domestic level that they can grab the ball of Meg and say I want to do a job for Australia and can come out and produce - so it's really exciting and we've got so much variety, which is even more exciting. You bring Ash back in our side and all of a sudden, we’re a real threat to the left handers but we proved today that we're still a threat, with that one taking the ball away from her - so yeah, I'm not too sure but it's really pleasing for me and I guess the group to see.

Reporter: Giving you the best seat in the house and spinners make life a lot more interesting. What's it like spending at least half your life standing up?

Alyssa: Yeah, it's exhausting. But it's good fun. I mean, I guess it's my job to try and make an impact where I can and that's half the time with the gloves on. So yeah, it's just my role to be busy behind the stumps whether that's back or up to the stumps and I guess it's a real challenge for me to be keeping up for, you know, I guess 44 overs out of the 50 but it's good fun and yeah, like I said to the spin group, it's always exciting.

Reporter: 70 plus knocks on International Women's Day in World Cup matches - it must have become second nature to you by now. Tell us a bit about that.

Alyssa: Yeah - I haven't put any thought into that whatsoever. But well done on picking up on that.

The 8th of March is just a great day to be a woman - so is the other 364 days of the year but we got to get a day to celebrate ourselves and I guess the one in 2020 was probably the best day of my life. So I thought today was – cant get any better that 2020, So let's go out in 2022 and see what we can do - but yeah, obviously with the theme - Break the bias, this year. It's a great opportunity for us to go out here in particular in this World Cup and show everyone what we can do and I think there's been some unbelievable performances so far that people should be really proud.

Reporter: Just following up on one of those previous questions. Somewhere in the 2017 World Cup to become the leading run scorer for Australia, given all the players you have in your lineup - how has been the last five years at the top of Australian team?

Alyssa: Yeah, it's been really exciting. And it was almost a challenge that Matthew Mott gave me and obviously our top order to see how we could revamp the way we wanted to play one day cricket and sort of thrust upon me to say we're going to put you at the top of the order. Let's see what you can do. And it was just a great opportunity for me to take that on and grab that opportunity and know that I was backed – and Yeah, it's been an enjoyable last five years and like I said, I really wanted to come into this World Cup and make an impact and show people that I could still do that job I suppose.

So yeah. But like I said, it's such an amazing batting lineup to be a part of that doesn't come off on any given day. I know that - you know, Rachel Haynes at the other end and Meg Lanning can come in and Pez and Moon, I mean, it's a pretty formidable batting lineup. So we're pretty blessed and it can I guess, give us the freedom to go out there play our shots and put our side into good positions to win any game.

Reporter: My question is that you mentioned on the eve of World Cup final in 2020. There were some elctric bikes and some beer involved. I just want to know you scored 70 today - in Melbourne CBD you mentioned in the podcast about this. I just want to know if there was anything fun involved last night and other question is - you walked out and Beth Mooney walked in - I just want to know that on March 8th – is it weird to see that someone you played that great partnership with on MCG - Is it weird to see that she walks in when you walked out?

Alyssa: Good questions and no I did nothing fun last night although I did get gifted a free beer when I went to pick up my food, because I lost my order. So there you go – there is something in that - not encouraging that behavior one bit - and yeah, I guess I wasn't really thinking about that T20 World Cup final at any point today, so Moons coming out to bat. I almost had to apologize to her because I felt like I should have been out there hitting the winning rounds instead of you know trudging off disappointed with myself. So yeah - no, sorry it didn't cross my mind and nothing special happened last night, unfortunately. But I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for raising that.