The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Healy finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
