Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling 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 batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
From the time data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain commented.
It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Place
Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
