🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

From the time data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”