Healy Hammers Another Hundred to Propel Australia into World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” she added.

Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”

Sylvia Anderson
Sylvia Anderson

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