Australian captain Alyssa Healy is set to return from a knee injury as a specialist batter but the start of the first ODI against New Zealand in Wellington has been delayed due to rain.

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The weather gods have not looked kindly on the Australian cricket teams this week as after the rain-affected draw in the men’s Test in Brisbane, the covers down and the rain looks set in at the Basin Reserve.

All eyes have been on Healy’s race against the clock to prove her fitness in the build-up, but the Australian hierarchy have settled on the solution of the 34-year-old ditching the keeping gloves for this series with Beth Mooney to continue behind the stumps as she did in the recent ODI series against India.

“I won’t be wicketkeeping this series … but there’s not a lot of cricket leading into the Ashes, so for me, it’s an opportunity to try and get back on the park, as a batter, and try and find some runs more importantly,” Healy said on Wednesday.

“I feel like I’ve hardly played any cricket for the last eight or nine months and there’s a good opportunity to do that.

“The knee’s tracking well, it’s just a day-by-day thing, and we’ll just assess as we go.”

Healy played just four games in the WBBL before injuring her knee after rupturing her plantar fascia in the T20 World Cup, but she is confirmed to take her customary place at the top of the order once again, meaning new-comer Georgia Voll is likely to make way or slide down the order.

Voll scored a maiden ODI century against India at Allan Border Field, and formed an aggressive opening combination with fellow 21-year-old Phoebe Litchfield.

With the toss yet to take place due to the rain, Australia’s XI remains unclear and it will be of great interest to see how they piece the batting line-up together upon Healy’s return.

“It’s a bit stiff on whoever might miss out, considering the batting line’s been doing a great job,” Healy said.

“We’ll go into every game picking our best batting line-up.

“So there’s obviously spots up for grabs (and) I can see (Voll) playing a role, wherever it might be.”

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

New Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bella James, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold

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