🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen 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 taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

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

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

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”