Healy Hammers a Second Century to Power the Australian Team into World Cup Knockout Stage

Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

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

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

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’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 top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

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

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”