The Australian skipper has executed outstanding consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's poorest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain said.
It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”
