Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over their opponents.
Healy finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling two 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 bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.
Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough 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 sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
