🔗 Share this article

The Australian skipper has produced brilliant back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

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

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup fifty 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.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”