🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has executed superb consecutive centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the six missed opportunities represented 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 little while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy said.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

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

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”