The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive win over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
From the time data was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Spot
Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against India four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”
