Alyssa Healy Hammers a Second Ton to Power Australia into Cricket World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain said.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure the team's chase 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 undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”