Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy 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 Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, 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 partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
