Healy Hammers a Second Century to Propel Australia into Cricket World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century 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 key to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

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

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted 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 First Tournament Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”

Amanda Cole
Amanda Cole

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in SEO and content marketing, passionate about helping businesses thrive online.