Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
