Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy said.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Stars
In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
