🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down.

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

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.

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

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”