Alyssa Healy has produced superb consecutive centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the group table 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 experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Stars
In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India four days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”
