🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has delivered outstanding consecutive centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

Since data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps 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 the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to learn 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 last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

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

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”