The Australian skipper has produced outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 came after possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.
From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 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.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
