🔗 Share this article Alyssa Healy Blasts a Second Century to Power the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Final Four Alyssa Healy has delivered outstanding back-to-back centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh. Healy remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs. “I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said. Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’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 glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added. Since data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament. “Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said. It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions. But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable. Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed. The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties. Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event. In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal. The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs. Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips. Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen. A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier. “It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”