Alyssa Healy Fires Another Century to Propel the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.

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

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”

Ashley Martin
Ashley Martin

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