🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps 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 said.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

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

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”