Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since statistics was first recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts 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 semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
