The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive win over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just a few 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 dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the six catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” she added.
From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.
It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.
Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Fifty
The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.
The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”
