The Australian skipper has executed superb consecutive centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented Australia’s worst 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 analyze,” Healy commented.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated 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 King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”
