Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
Healy finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
From the time data was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display 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 an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads
Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”
