The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs 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 player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
