🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's weakest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

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

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, 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. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”