Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand 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 not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.
“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 statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Place
Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
