The Australian skipper has executed superb consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century 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 captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
From the time data was initially taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”
