🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has executed superb consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling 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 bat, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding display 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 review,” the captain said.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls 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 Thrive as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”