The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the six chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.
From the time data was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain said.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers 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, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 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. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
