Healy Fires Another Century to Send the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly 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 was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

From the time data was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

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

But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against India four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”

Robert Shepard
Robert Shepard

A clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience, passionate about making mental health accessible through engaging content.