Healy Hammers a Second Hundred to Power the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Final Four

The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 runs came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

Since data was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s worst 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 an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 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 continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”