The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
From the time data was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped 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 catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.
The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”
