Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 came after possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“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,” she added.
Since data was first taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the six missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display 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 review,” Healy commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
