Alyssa Healy Blasts Another Century to Send Australia into World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen 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 delivered,” she added.

Since data was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

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

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

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

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

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

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

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”