Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” 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 first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which places her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”
