The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s poorest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.
Since data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“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 commented.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.
The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”
