🔗 Share this article Alyssa Healy Fires Another Hundred to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive victory over their opponents. Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries. “I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked. Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down. “I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added. Since statistics was first recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup. “Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain said. It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions. But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging. Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed. The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries. Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event. Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal. The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs. Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips. Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13. Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before. “It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”