The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.
Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Fifty
The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against India four days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
