🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six catches that were missed.

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

Since data was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”