The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot
Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”
