The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”
