Healy Hammers Another Hundred to Send Australia into World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.

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

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”