Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest 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.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”
