The Australian skipper has produced outstanding back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.
Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy said.
It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face England and South Africa.”
