The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 came after possibly the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”
