Healy Fires Another Ton to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

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

Since data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic 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 look forward to going back to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”

Carla Townsend
Carla Townsend

A UK-based writer passionate about modern lifestyle trends and tech innovations, with over a decade of blogging experience.