Alyssa Healy Fires a Second Hundred to Propel Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

Alyssa Healy has produced superb consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding 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 had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six missed opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain said.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”

Susan Castaneda
Susan Castaneda

A seasoned music journalist with a passion for uncovering emerging artists and trends in the UK music industry.