Healy Blasts Another Ton to Send the Australian Team into World Cup Final Four

Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

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

From the time data was initially taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads

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

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”