Healy Blasts Another Century to Power Australia into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has executed superb consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to learn 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, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries 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 Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”

John Hernandez
John Hernandez

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