Alyssa Healy Blasts a Second Ton to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has delivered outstanding consecutive hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

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

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the six catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

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

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, 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 spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”

Michael Martinez
Michael Martinez

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