Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time data was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy said.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India four days before.
“It's great 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 take on the English team and South Africa.”
