The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since data was first recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest 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 review,” Healy commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side at the 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 said.
The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
