Healy Hammers a Second Century to Power the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket 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 Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first 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.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

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

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”