Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps 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.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 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 a few days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”
