Alyssa Healy Blasts a Second Hundred to Propel Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

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

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total 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 spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

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

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”

Jonathan Brown Jr.
Jonathan Brown Jr.

A passionate literary critic and avid reader with a background in comparative literature, known for her insightful and balanced reviews.