🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 runs followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, 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 almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”