Healy Blasts Another Hundred to Power the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has produced brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 followed perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“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.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest 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 Alana King Stars

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

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

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

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

Alexis Clark
Alexis Clark

Lena Schmidt is a Berlin-based journalist and political analyst with over a decade of experience covering European affairs.