Alyssa Healy Blasts Another Hundred to Send the Australian Team into World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

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

The Captain Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”

Timothy Sanchez
Timothy Sanchez

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