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Alyssa Healy shares quirky Mitchell Starc detail in brutal Test scenes for Australia

The Aussie women's cricket star has matched her husband after a gut-wrenching moment against South Africa.

andrew reid
·4-min read
Australia captain Alyssa Healy joined her husband Mitchell Starc with a Test high score of 99 after a heartbreaking dismissal against South Africa. Pic: Getty
Australia captain Alyssa Healy joined her husband Mitchell Starc with a Test high score of 99 after a heartbreaking dismissal against South Africa. Pic: Getty

Australia captain Alyssa Healy has matched her cricket star husband Mitchell Starc after falling one run short of notching her maiden Test century against South Africa. Healy was out for 99 on the opening day of the Test after teammate Darcie Brown (5-21) ran rampant at the WACA to help the Aussies bowl out the visitors for a record-low 76 in just 31.2 overs.

The Aussies got to stumps at 5-251 with an overall lead of 175 but only after Healy (99 off 124 balls) and Beth Mooney (78 off 109 balls) got the home side out of an early pickle. Australia was reeling at 3-12 before the pair came to the crease and shared in a superb 155-run partnership to turn the match back in the hosts' favour.

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Healy almost capped off the brilliant fightback with her maiden century in Test cricket - a feat that would have given her an international ton in all three formats of the game. Just four minutes before stumps though, Healy's attempt to push a single down the leg side gave Delmi Tucker an easy return catch as the Aussie skipper fell agonisingly short of her milestone ton.

"We were all a bit 'devo' for her," star quick Brown said about Healy after the skipper's 200-minute innings ended in despair. "At the end of the day it was just one run. "She dug us out of that hole that we were in early and batted so well, so we're all really proud of her."

Incredibly, Healy now shares the same Test high score as her husband Starc, who also fell short of a maiden Test century after falling for 99 against India in 2013. Fans were quick to point out the curious quirk between husband and wife, with supporters gutted for Healy after coming so close to recording the century.

While a disappointed Healy left the ground in disbelief, her stand with Mooney left the Aussies in a strong position heading into day two. Annabel Sutherland (54no) and Ashleigh Gardner (yet to score) will resume when play gets underway on Friday as the Aussies look to ram home their advantage off the back of Brown's historic act with the ball.

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The Aussie quick (5-21) and Sutherland (3-19) snared career-best figures to vindicate Healy's decision to bowl first in 42 degree heat in Perth. With the South Africans playing just their second Test since 2014 and missing star allrounder Marizanne Kapp through illness, it was a day to forget as the visitors crashed to their lowest total in Test history.

Seen here, Australia pace bowler Darcie Brown celebrates after her five-wicket haul in the first innings against South Africa.
Australia pace bowler Darcie Brown celebrates after her five-wicket haul in the first innings against South Africa. Pic: Getty

Brown had figures of 2-1 at that stage, with South Africa in early trouble at 2-5. Tazmin Brits (five off 48 balls) helped stem the tide with a painfully slow innings, with Sune Luus (26) also helping launch a mini recovery.

But two wickets in as many balls from Sutherland sparked a collapse of 6-17 as the visitors slumped from 2-33 to 8-50, before Brown helped complete the historic blood bath. The 76-run total marked South Africa's lowest score in women's Test cricket after they fell well short of the previous record-low of 89 against New Zealand in 1972.

with AAP

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