Healy Blasts Another Century to Power the Australian Team into World Cup Final Four
The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst 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 reflect on,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”
