The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”
