🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display 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 reflect on,” Healy commented.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

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

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie 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 Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell 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 (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”