🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

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

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

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

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”