AUS vs BAN: In a dominant yet slightly flawed performance, Australia secured a convincing 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh (AUS vs BAN) in their Women’s World Cup clash in Visakhapatnam.
Alyssa Healy smashed a quick century. She teamed up with Phoebe Litchfield for a partnership that did not break. That effort pushed Australia into the semi-finals.
It kept their winning run going without a loss. The game had some rough moments in the field for Australia. They dropped catches or something like that. Still, their bowlers held strong. The batters stepped up too. All of it added up to a clear victory in the end.
Healy’s Back-to-Back Centuries Guide Australia to Victory
Alyssa Healy continued her scorching form with a career-best 113 off 77 deliveries, which came on the back of her 142 against India in the same ground. Her century and Litchfield’s 84 not out bundled Australia to a comfortable chase.
Their record 202-run unbeaten partnership was the highest successful unbroken run chase without losing a wicket in Women’s World Cup history and the second-highest chase in women’s ODIs at large.
Healy’s forceful stroke play saw her complete with three successive boundaries off Ritu Moni, as Australia completed their target with 25.1 overs remaining. Litchfield was a supporting act, completing the run-chase with two boundaries and clinching the win for Australia.
Spinners Shine as Australia Restrict Bangladesh to 198/9
With the bowling, Alana King was Australia’s best, keeping Bangladesh to 198/9 with an excellent 2 for 18 from her 10 overs that had four maidens. Her tight bowling, coupled with fellow legspinner Georgia Wareham’s 2 for 22 from seven overs, put the Bangladesh batting line-up in some sort of order throughout their innings.
Even after a valiant 66 not out by Shobhana Mostary, Bangladesh’s total appeared short. With the remainder of their batsmen finding it hard to get runs, Australia’s bowlers never gave Bangladesh a chance to form big stands. King’s spell proved vital in cutting Bangladesh’s middle order, while Wareham’s astute bowling saw the scoreboard pressure mount.
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Australia’s Fielding Woes In AUS vs BAN
Although Australia’s bowlers were mostly successful, the team’s fielding was not up to the mark. They dropped six catches, missed one stumping, and allowed 28 runs from the final three overs of the Bangladesh innings.
Mostary was especially lucky, getting dropped twice during her innings on 22, once by Litchfield and once by Healy behind the wickets. Nevertheless, her grit brought Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against Australia in an ODI.
Australia’s misfields did not prove expensive in terms of the game being lost, but they would be eager to correct these mistakes as they gear up for their next encounter against England in the semi-finals.
Bangladesh’s Fightback Comes Too Late
In spite of a gallant fight by Mostary, who was dropped on several occasions, Bangladesh could not develop partnerships during their innings. With the score reduced to 162/8, they could only muster a total of 198/9, which was never going to cause any alarm for the defending champions.
Rubya Haider managed a solid 44 runs that helped her side a bit. She got out to Ash Gardner, giving Australia their first wicket in the match. That moment really tightened Australia’s hold on things. Mostary put up a fight toward the end and hit her fifty. Still, it was not enough to push Bangladesh past 200 runs. The bowlers from Australia, with Annabel Sutherland out front, just wrapped it all up clean and quick.
Australia’s Strategic Performance and Next Semi-Final
Although Australia’s effort was anything but perfect, their capacity to deliver with bat and ball indicates the strength of their side. The win not only kept their unbeaten streak going but also pushed them above England at the points table top, assuring them of a place in the semi-finals.
In a 10-wicket win and strong all-round display, Australia will be looking forward to their next encounter with England with confidence. But they would be mindful of the fielding that requires improvement in time for the knockout phase.
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