Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain said.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Stars
Instead, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face England and South Africa.”
