The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
Healy finished not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s poorest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular 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 batting, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Leads
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and 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 total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
