Healy Fires Another Hundred to Power Australia into Cricket World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding 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 had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars

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

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”