🔗 Share this article Healy Hammers a Second Hundred to Send Australia into Cricket World Cup Semi-Finals The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket win over Bangladesh. Healy remained unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs. “I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked. Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for dropping two 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 bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued. From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup. “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 Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions. But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable. The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed. The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties. The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event. Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal. The recalled Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs. Spin Attack Excel as King Leads In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips. Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen. Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier. “It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”