🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.

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

From the time data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side 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 said.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”