The Australian skipper has produced outstanding back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive victory over their opponents.
Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s poorest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, 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 six missed opportunities 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 while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against India a few days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
