The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six missed catches marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”
