The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting 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 stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Leads
Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
