Healy Blasts a Second Ton to Propel Australia into World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries 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 fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”

James Padilla
James Padilla

A digital transformation strategist with over a decade of experience in helping businesses leverage technology for scalable growth and innovation.