🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 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.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”