The Australian skipper has produced outstanding consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive win over their opponents.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances 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 got the job done,” she added.
Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
