Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding back-to-back centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
