Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
From the time data was initially taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy said.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
