Wellington : Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy on Wednesday stated that reaching the final of ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at Hagley Oval was her target ever since team landed in New Zealand for the tournament.
Healy made a fantastic 129 as Australia defeated the West Indies by 157 runs in the first semi-final at Basin Reserve. Healy and her fellow opener Rachael Haynes put on 216 for the first wicket as Australia posted 305/3 in 45 overs, a record total for a World Cup knockout match despite rain cutting off five overs.
In reply, West Indies were never in the hunt to chase the huge total and ended on 148/8 with Anisa Mohammed and Chinelle Henry unable to bat due to injury and illness respectively.
“It’s a great thing for our group to be in a one-day World Cup final, it’s exactly where we wanted to be when we landed in New Zealand. We knew we wanted to be in Christchurch on the 3rd of April, and we were going to do everything we possibly could to get there, and I think we’ve played some unbelievable cricket throughout these last few weeks with everything that’s been thrown at us as well,” said Healy in the post-match virtual press conference.
“Wellington’s a really interesting place to play cricket, so it’s been an enjoyable experience coming to the ground every day and different conditions being thrown at us. I’m just really proud of this group and hopefully we can put it all together one more time on Sunday,” added Healy, adjudged ‘Player of the Match’.
Healy felt that the semi-final win over West Indies was the perfect game Australia were searching for in the entire tournament. “It’s probably exactly what we’ve been searching for this whole World Cup, which was awesome. I guess to be able to do it on the big stage and the pressure as a group was really pleasing and hopefully we can do it once more on Sunday.”
Healy’s 129, comprising 17 fours and a six, was also her first-ever hundred in the ODI World Cup. She admitted that she didn’t know of the milestone but her priority was to get Australia into a position of advantage.
“I wasn’t aware of that stat (maiden World Cup hundred), so it hasn’t really been a source of frustration. I’ve managed to find ways to get myself out through this World Cup that is probably more of a frustration.”
“For me today to be able to go on and just help the team get to a big total and build a really good score on what wasn’t exactly the flattest wicket going around, it was doing a bit, so that was probably more pleasing than anything else.”
Australia will now face the winner of the second semi-final between defending champions England and South Africa in the final on Sunday.
–IANS
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