Alyssa Healy’s brilliant century and an excellent cameo from Rachael Haynes helped Australia to a 158-run victory against West Indies in Wellington on Wednesday, ensuring their spot in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final.
In a rain-shortened 45 overs, Healy (129 from 107 balls) and Haynes (85 from 100 balls) set up 216 runs for the first wicket to help Australia reach 305/3, but West Indies responded with just 148 runs courtesy to a dominant bowling effort..
While Healy and Haynes stole the show, their teammates backed them up with a disciplined performance on the field and a clinical effort with the ball, ensuring Australia’s place in Sunday’s final.
Jess Jonassen (2/14) bowled superbly, taking two wickets and allowing five others to take one wicket each, while Beth Mooney took another candidate for catch of the tournament to go with her unbeaten 43 at the crease.
Skipper Stafanie Taylor (48) played a lone hand in the run chase for West Indies and Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews both managed 34 runs at the top of the order, but they received little support with two batters unable to take the crease as Australia cruised home.
Earlier in the innings, Healy and Haynes looked imperious, scoring at a rapid pace as Australia amassed a massive total after being assigned to bat first. Healy and Haynes put on a dazzling partnership, feasting on some poor West Indies bowling and even sloppier fielding to put on Australia’s third best opening stand in WODI history.
In the meantime, I’ve been through some tense semi-finals in the past. Early on, the West Indies put us under a lot of pressure, but credit to Haynes and Healy. We thought the first hour was crucial. We’ve felt on a new wicket here, and the early going can be hard. (On Gardner’s promotion) We just felt like we had a nice platform, and Gardner fits in perfectly.
We tried everything we could to get the most out of our batting lineup. The hitters put us up nicely against a tough opposition, and the bowlers were disciplined. At the end of the day, we want to win the tournament. (On South Africa and England) Both are fantastic teams, but we won’t be watching them too closely. I’ll attempt to keep myself occupied.
A collective effort like this, when you think about it, deflates the entire team. Australia did just that, and the large amount of lost catches didn’t help matters. We needed to keep our spirits up in order to get that sum. We were in desperate need of a bat through from the top four, something we didn’t have. Because Rashada is a strokeplayer and Dottin is a strokemaker, we never looked into the Dottin-Matthews pairing.
We didn’t want Dottin and Matthews to be separated, so we made sure they didn’t. Given the hitters’ absence, it was a difficult task. We hoped to get something out of the game and contribute to the team’s 200-point total. I am dissatisfied with my own performance. I didn’t have as much of an impact on the team as I would have liked.
The fact that I had a niggle in my bowling arm made things even more tough for me. “We were flying about and didn’t have enough velocity to go back on course,” Stephanie Taylor explained.
According to Healy, my performance may be summarized as “here, there, and everywhere.” I wish I had received more, but I’m happy with what I received. Before this game, we talked a lot about patience, and I believe that ODIs are all about patience and waiting for the proper moment to strike.
Rach’s (Rachael Haynes) calm demeanour helped me stay in the moment and keep track of the score. We had every intention of reaching the final before the competition began; we’ve always wanted to play on the third at Hagley Oval, and I believe tonight was just another step toward that goal. Despite the challenging circumstances, the girls performed admirably today. It’s a lovely spot to be.
Despite a brilliant century from Alyssa Healy and a superb 85 from Rachael Haynes, the West Indies never put the bowlers under any significant pressure.
Meg Lanning has completed her part of the task. They’ve won eight of their first eight games, and a ninth win will give them the title. Despite a brilliant century from Alyssa Healy and a superb 85 from Rachael Haynes, the West Indies never put the bowlers under any significant pressure. Meg Lanning has completed her part of the task. They’ve won eight of their first eight games, and a ninth win will give them the title.
Published By:Â JAINAM SHETH
Edited By : KHUSHI THAKUR
