Next in our series on the origin stories of elite cricketers, Jo Harman tells the tale of Australian wicketkeeping royalty

IAN & ALYSSA HEALY

Alyssa and Ian at the Allan Border Medal presentation in 2018

PHOTO BY MICHAEL DODGE

For 25 of the last 35 years, a Healy has been found stationed behind the stumps for Australia, cajoling their bowlers, a fly in the ear of opposition batters, rhythm section to a champion team.

Between them, Ian and his niece Alyssa have racked up 528 appearances for their country, claimed 845 dismissals and achieved legend status in Australian cricket. The very definition of a safe pair of hands.

“When I look at Ian and Alyssa’s paths, they’re very, very similar,” says Greg Healy of his brother and daughter ’s careers. “They both played a multitude of sports growing up – Ian ended up being captain of Central Queensland and Queensland in several sports and Alyssa represented New South Wales in five sports. They led their age brackets.”

The third of four children, Ian was born in the Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill but spent his formative years in Biloela, a mining hub in Central Queensland where his sporting talent was allowed to flourish. “Education wasn’t top of the pops as it would have been in the big smoke,” says Greg, the eldest of Ian’s siblings. “The country lifestyle provided us opportunities. We were free to play a lot of sport.

“Ian would ride his push bike around with his kit bag on the back and stop at every cricket ground asking if they had a spare spot. He’d field fine-leg to fine-leg, and that’s how he learnt to play cricket. From a very young age he was playing with and gainst people who were older than he was. And he had no fear. He had that confidence.”

Alyssa “didn’t even know there was an Australian women’s team” when she was growing up

Greg describes ferociously competitive games of backyard cricket with Ian and his youngest brother Ken, and it stood them in good stead – all three went on to be part of the senior Queensland set-up. “Ian was tough as,” recalls Greg. “The journey between youth elite level and senior cricket is quite significant, but he was well prepared.”