Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”
