Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.
From the time data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”
