Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive win over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.
Since statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with First World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat 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’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”