🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“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,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the six catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

From the time data was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Place

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”