The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.
“I thought 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 move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly the team's weakest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.
Since data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy said.
This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place
Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty
The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.
Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
