Alyssa Healy Fires a Second Hundred to Send the Australian Team into World Cup Knockout Stage

Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

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

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest 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 analyze,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”

Tom Ford
Tom Ford

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