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

The Australian skipper has executed superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

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

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”

Cynthia Smith MD
Cynthia Smith MD

A passionate gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering esports and indie game developments across Europe.