The Australian skipper has executed superb back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.
“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.
Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.
Since data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.
“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy said.
It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.
The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot
Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten 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 said.
The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred 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 almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century
Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.
In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.
The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads
Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.
Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days before.
“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”
