Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” she added.
From the time data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”
