Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs 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 today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's poorest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy said.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Place
Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers 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, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face England and South Africa.”
