The Australian skipper has delivered outstanding back-to-back hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“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,” she added.
Since data was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest 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 analyze,” Healy commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”
