The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 runs came after possibly the team's weakest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.
Since data was initially taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.
This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team 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 vital to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.
The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”
