The Australian skipper has delivered outstanding back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 came after possibly the team's shoddiest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.
This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”
