🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

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

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing 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 analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face England and South Africa.”