Healy Fires a Second Ton to Power Australia into Cricket World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive hundreds to guide her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

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

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the pair added 202 came after perhaps the team's poorest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended 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 practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

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

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 balls 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 chased down 330 against India a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”

Angela Smith
Angela Smith

A passionate architect and writer with over a decade of experience in sustainable home design and renovation projects.

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