Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket win over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”
