🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“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.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first tournament half-century 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 Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied 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 shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 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 total to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”