🔗 Share this article Healy Fires a Second Ton to Propel Australia into Cricket World Cup Final Four Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents. Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs. “I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked. Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly Australia’s poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down. “I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added. From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup. “Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain said. This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions. But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, 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 Knockout Place The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed. The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries. Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup. Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal. The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs. Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon. Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13. Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before. “It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”