Alyssa Healy’s retirement has left a gaping hole in Australia’s T20 side, and the solution could be a former South African wicketkeeper dominating on the domestic circuit.
Lizelle Lee, who played 184 matches for the Proteas across formats, has been one of the WBBL’s most consistent performers since she relocated to Tasmania following her retirement from international cricket for South Africa in 2022.
After helping the Tigers complete a three-peat of WNCL titles, the 33-year-old was named player of this season’s WBBL final having cracked an unbeaten 77 from 44 balls against the Perth Scorchers in Hobart, with the Hurricanes winning their maiden title.
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A relentless boundary-hitter, Lee has also donned the gloves in 110 T20 matches, making her a potential like-for-like replacement for Healy if required.
“She’s just phenomenal,” Hurricanes captain Elyse Villani said of Lee after the final.
“Just being able to sit back and watch her dominate bowling attacks, and some of the shots that she hits – she’s the cleanest hitter I’ve ever come across.
“She’s always had the power, she’s always had great hand-eye, but I think that she’s making great decisions more often as well, and that allows her to put her power and her hand-eye on display for longer and absolutely dominate teams.”
Meanwhile, Lee’s maiden Women’s Premier League campaign is off to a near-perfect start, hitting consecutive fifths for the Delhi Capitals, including a 54-ball 86 against the Gujarat Giants in Mumbai. She’s currently the competition’s second-leading run-scorer, sitting behind Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Across the last three summers, Lee has accumulated 1113 WBBL runs at a strike rate of 151.84 – only two players have managed more runs during the period, being Australian superstars Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry.
In November 2024, she plundered an unbeaten 150 from 75 balls against the Scorchers at the SCG, which remains a WBBL record, also becoming the first player to hit consecutive hundreds in the T20 competition.
Earlier this season, the spectacled opener also came within touching distance of posting the highest individual score in WNCL, cracking 187 from 141 balls against Victoria in Melbourne.
“The last few months have been probably one of the best I’ve had,” Lee told reporters in November.
“Hopefully that can continue.”
Having moved permanently to Hobart with her wife Tanja in 2022, Lee acquired Australian permanent resident status last year, making her eligible to represent Tasmania as a local player.
However, the powerful right-hander brushed aside questions about a potential Australian call-up, arguing the likes of New South Wales’ Tahlia Wilson and Victoria’s Nicole Faltum were more deserving.
“I don’t think it’s something (the Australian selectors) would look at,” Lee said.
“I’m 33 years old, and they have such good talent in this country.
“You have so many young players coming through, I don’t think it would be very clever looking at somebody like me.
“You have to go for talent that you have in your country.”
Mooney is the leading candidate to don the gloves following Healy’s retirement, having already fulfilled the task in the national side across formats, while young opener Georgia Voll is expected to open the batting during Australia’s upcoming T20 series against India.
Australia only has six 20-over matches scheduled before the T20 World Cup kicks off in the United Kingdom in June, with the powerhouse team hoping to reclaim the title they lost in 2024.
Elsewhere, Lee dreams of travelling to Los Angeles in 2028 for the Olympics – but not as a player, as an umpire.
She has ambitions of becoming a top international umpire, having already officiated matches in Tasmanian Premier Cricket and the Female Under-19 National Championships.
“I don’t want to take away my cricket, because I still feel like there’s a lot in me, but I would not mind being one of the top international umpires,” Lee said.
“That’s something that I really want to do – and who doesn’t want to go to the Olympics, it doesn’t matter what you’re going for.
“In 2032, there’s a Brisbane one, so fingers crossed maybe if I’m done playing by then, hopefully I can do that.”
The Capitals will next face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday.
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