Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
