The Australian skipper has produced outstanding back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.
The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.
“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.
Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly the team's weakest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.
“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.
From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.
“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.
It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.
But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.
The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Place
The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.
The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.
Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty
Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.
In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.
The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.
Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars
In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.
Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.
Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.
“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”
