Alyssa Healy Hammers a Second Hundred to Propel Australia into World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s poorest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

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

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”

Patrick Johnson
Patrick Johnson

A tech journalist and innovation strategist with over a decade of experience covering UK and European tech ecosystems.