Healy Blasts a Second Ton to Power Australia into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches 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.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”

Sean Price
Sean Price

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