Alyssa Healy Fires Another Hundred to Power the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and South Africa.”

Shelly Watson
Shelly Watson

A travel journalist and Vegas enthusiast with over a decade of experience covering entertainment and lifestyle stories in Las Vegas.