Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 came after possibly the team's weakest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 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 won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
