Alyssa Healy has produced superb consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 came after possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily delivered,” she added.
From the time data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table 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 experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”
