Healy Blasts a Second Ton to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals

The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 came after possibly the team's poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 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 successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

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

Renee Richardson
Renee Richardson

Award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering UK politics and international affairs.