Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the six catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain said.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Place
Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup 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 Leads
In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”
