The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” she added.
Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six missed opportunities marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
