Healy Hammers Another Ton to Send Australia into World Cup Knockout Stage
The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.
âI thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but weâll take the two points and progress,â Healy remarked.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursdayâs run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly Australiaâs poorest performance in the field under Healyâs stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down.
âI felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,â she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
âPerhaps itâs just that phase of the tournament â weâve been here a while, and itâs an issue weâll reflect on,â Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot
Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. âThat's great news,â she said.
The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.
The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didnât have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.
The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussiesâ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads
In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadnât dropped one in the slips.
Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournamentâs top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haiderâs 44 runs and Mostaryâs not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against India four days before.
âItâs always nice when youâve got the âQâ beside your name in a global tournament,â remarked star performer King. âCertainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.â