Healy Blasts Another Hundred to Power Australia into World Cup Knockout Stage
The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.
Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the six 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 got the job done,” she added.
From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.
The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Stars
In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally 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 Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”