The Australian skipper has produced outstanding back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.
“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular 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 batting, and luckily got the job done,” she added.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase 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 manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.
But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.
Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.
The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, 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 still the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.
A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.
“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”
