🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked 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 an issue we’ll review,” Healy commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”