The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket win over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.
Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.
The recalled Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as King Stars
Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days earlier.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
