Alyssa Healy Fires a Second Hundred to Send the Australian Team into World Cup Semi-Finals

The Australian skipper has produced outstanding back-to-back hundreds to guide her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

From the time data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as 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 slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score 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 great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”

Eric Chandler
Eric Chandler

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