🔗 Share this article Healy Fires Another Century to Propel the Australian Team into Cricket World Cup Knockout Stage The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents. The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries. “I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said. Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down. “I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued. From the time data was initially taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six missed catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup. “Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said. It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions. But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable. The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed. The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties. Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup. In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal. The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs. Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon. Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen. A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier. “It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”