The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, 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 practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”
