Healy Fires a Second Century to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

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

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing 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 an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy said.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries 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 Excel as Alana King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face England and South Africa.”

Stephen Cruz
Stephen Cruz

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