🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant back-to-back centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated team 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 captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

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

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”