The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.
Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six catches that were missed.
“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
From the time statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-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 Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.
The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.
Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.
The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Thrive as King Stars
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.
A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face England and South Africa.”
