Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a below par 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 professionalism of the day's chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.
Since statistics was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked the team's poorest fielding display 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 analyze,” the captain commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”
