Healy Fires a Second Hundred to Propel Australia into World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

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

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

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

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”

Brenda Charles MD
Brenda Charles MD

A tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering digital transformation and startup ecosystems across Europe.