Healy Hammers Another Ton to Propel the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

The Australian skipper has produced brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team 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 said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”

Daniel Miller
Daniel Miller

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