🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six catches that went down.

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

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 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 something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”