🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's poorest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities marked Australia’s worst 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 something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”