The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping 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 batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.
Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches 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 little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place
Healy was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”
