Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.
Since data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories 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 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’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 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”
