Alyssa Healy Fires a Second Ton to Send the Australian Team into World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

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

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

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

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. 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 chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

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

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”

Joseph Griffin
Joseph Griffin

Elara Vance is a travel writer and UK expat based in Las Vegas, sharing insights on local culture and expat experiences.