The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.
“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 runs followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple 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 luckily succeeded,” she added.
Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten 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 fantastic,” she said.
The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The recalled Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament 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 spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.
A batter'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 target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
