Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
From the time data was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated team 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 exclaimed.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 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,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
