🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

Since data was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”