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 commanding 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 came after possibly the team's weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.
Since data was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team 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 a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”
