Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 came after possibly the team's weakest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”
