Healy Fires Another Century to Propel Australia into World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly Australia’s poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding 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 bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities 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 something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place 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 tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”

Thomas Mitchell
Thomas Mitchell

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