Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads
Instead, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”
