ON the outfield of Barbados’ Kensington Oval on Friday, an age-old rivalry was reborn.
But rather than recreate the infamous scene that took place at the same ground in 1991, it was all banter and laughter when West Indies great Desmond Haynes once again came face-to-face with a Healy representing Australia.
This time, it was Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, the niece of men’s team great Ian – and she wasted no time making a beeline for her uncle’s old rival and taking a photo to share on social media.
The West Indian opener had a message of his own to pass on to the elder Healy, as he addressed the Australian women’s squad on the eve of their first T20I against their Caribbean rivals.
He took particular delight in gesturing towards the middle as he recalled that 1991 Test where he and the legendary Australian gloveman shared a heated exchange.
On Australia’s 1991 tour of the West Indies, Haynes and Ian Healy had a running battle through the ODI series that spilled over into the Test matches.
Haynes survived a caught-behind appeal in Barbados, gesturing animatedly that the ball had flicked his hip which led to a few choice words from behind the stumps. The exchange got heated with the West Indian opener ripping off his helmet and storming towards the Australian and pointing his bat at the gloveman’s chest.
“It was nice to meet him and have a bit of a laugh about some of the times he had on field with Uncle Ian,” Healy, who was just a one-year-old in 1991, told cricket.com.au.
“He did say he always wanted to meet me and let me know he thought my uncle was a bit of a so-and-so, I can’t say (the actual word) on camera but let’s just say a pain behind the stumps.
“It was nice to share a laugh and they had a few beers afterwards to settle it, so they’re all good mates after that.
“It was a bit of fun, he’s a legend and he’s running a really cool museum here for the cricket legends from Barbados.”
These days, there’s a Healy and a Haynes playing alongside each other in the Australian women’s squad.
And it’s only fitting that Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes’ nickname is ‘Des’.
“That was pretty cute, they had the Desmond-squared photo,” Healy said.
“Rachael Haynes with that last name, we’ve been calling her ‘Dessie’ since I can remember so it was cool for her to stand next to him and have a photo.”
The Australians, who are on their first bilateral tour of the Caribbean since 1976, presented Haynes and fellow former West Indian Vasbert Drakes with a signed bat, to be displayed in Bridgetown’s famous Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum. (Cricket.com.au)
