🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

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

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries 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 earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”