Healy Hammers Another Ton to Propel the Australian Team into World Cup Knockout Stage

Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's worst 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 something we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

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

Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”