Healy Hammers Another Hundred to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team 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 goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

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

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

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

Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks

A seasoned game analyst with a passion for urban gaming subcultures and emerging technologies.