🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the six 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 fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

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

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana 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.”