Alyssa Healy Blasts Another Century to Propel the Australian Team into World Cup Knockout Stage

The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race 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 little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat 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 global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”

Ruben Wood
Ruben Wood

A seasoned betting analyst with over a decade of experience in UK sports markets, specializing in data-driven strategies.

September 2026 Blog Roll