Alyssa Healy Blasts Another Hundred to Send the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six missed catches marked the team'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 something we’ll reflect on,” the captain commented.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

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

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and South Africa.”