Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face England and South Africa.”
