The Australian skipper has produced superb back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place
Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
