🔗 Share this article

Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

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

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time data was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

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

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”