Healy Fires a Second Hundred to Propel the Australian Team into World Cup Semi-Finals

The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” she added.

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts 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 fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”

Sandra Colon
Sandra Colon

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