Alyssa Healy Hammers Another Hundred to Power the Australian Team into World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race 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 bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side 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 global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”

Stacy Cummings
Stacy Cummings

Elara is a certified fitness trainer and wellness coach with over a decade of experience in holistic health practices.