Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive win over their opponents.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”
