Healy Fires a Second Century to Propel Australia into World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century 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 maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”