🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy said.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”