Healy Blasts Another Century to Power the Australian Team into World Cup Final Four
Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”