The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 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 the Indian side a few days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”
