Alyssa Healy has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe 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 commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”
