Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.
Since statistics was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, 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 overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four 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 returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”
