The Australian skipper has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive win over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, 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 had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
Since data was initially taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 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 team who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
