The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
