🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 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 thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”