Alyssa Healy Blasts a Second Hundred to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”

Sarah Phelps
Sarah Phelps

Alex Turner is a seasoned sports betting analyst and writer with over a decade of experience in the gambling industry.