🔗 Share this article Healy Hammers Another Century to Send the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Final Four Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive victory over Bangladesh. The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs. “I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said. Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down. “I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued. From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup. “Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented. This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions. But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's target remained manageable. Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed. The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries. The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Fifty The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup. In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout. The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs. Spinners Thrive as King Stars In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon. Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen. Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before. “It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”