The Australian skipper has produced superb back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six catches that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
Since data was first taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked the team's worst fielding showing 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 said.
It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest 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 failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Leads
In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
