Healy Blasts Another Ton to Propel the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s poorest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily delivered,” she added.

Since data was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred 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 shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”

Michael Callahan
Michael Callahan

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