Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper 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 her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
