Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily delivered,” she added.
From the time data was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain said.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against India a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face England and South Africa.”
