Healy Fires Another Hundred to Propel the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain commented.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

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

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”

Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim

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