Alyssa Healy Blasts a Second Hundred to Power Australia into Cricket World Cup Final Four
The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling 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 bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century 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 innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”