Alyssa Healy Blasts a Second Hundred to Power the Australian Team into World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target 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,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps Australia’s weakest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain said.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”

Brandy Roberts
Brandy Roberts

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