Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular 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 got the job done,” she added.
Since data was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six missed catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. 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 sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
