Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.
From the time data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain said.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”
