Skipper Alyssa Healy continued her blistering run of form with a second successive century as Australia became the first team to secure a semifinal berth at the Women’s Cricket World Cup, crushing Bangladesh by 10 wickets at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Thursday.
Healy’s unbeaten 113 off 77 balls, following her 142 against India, and Phoebe Litchfield’s fluent 84 not out off 72, powered the defending champions to a resounding victory that lifted them to the top of the table with nine points from five matches. Bangladesh, meanwhile, languish in sixth with just two points.
Healy And Litchfield Seal Chase In Style
Chasing 199, the Australian openers made the task look effortless, racing to victory in under 25 overs. Their unbroken 202-run stand is now the second-highest partnership for any wicket against Bangladesh Women in ODIs, behind the 243-run opening stand by South Africa’s Tasmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt in 2023.
Healy, in imperious touch, struck 20 fours, while Litchfield’s innings featured 12 boundaries and a six as the pair dismantled the Bangladeshi attack with ease.
I was probably a bit poor behind the stumps — had a bit to make up with the bat. Bangladesh batters are tough to remove, but I enjoy the challenge. The girls will be right up for it against England.
Spinners Set Up Australia’s Dominance
Earlier, Bangladesh opted to bat first but were restricted to 198/9, thanks to a tight and disciplined bowling effort from Australia’s spinners. Leg-spinner Alana King starred with figures of 2-18 in 10 overs, including four maidens, earning her the Player of the Match award.
She made everyone look a bit silly at times, attacked both sides of the bat. Great to see her dominate.
Georgia Wareham (2-22), Ashleigh Gardner (2-47), and Annabel Sutherland (2-42) provided valuable support, while Megan Schutt struck early to remove opener Fargana Hoque, setting the tone for a controlled display.
Mostary’s Lone Fight Lifts Bangladesh To 198
For Bangladesh, Sobhana Mostary offered resistance with a gritty 66 off 80 balls, her knock featuring nine fours — notably, the first 50-plus score by a Bangladesh batter against Australia in ODIs.
Rubya Haider added a useful 44, and her 43-run stand with Sharmin Akhter (19) briefly steadied the innings. However, once skipper Nigar Sultana was stumped by Healy off King for 12, Bangladesh’s innings unravelled, with the lower order managing only single-digit contributions.
We started well but struggled to build partnerships. In these conditions, we should get more runs. Missing two strike bowlers didn’t help, but there are positives to take for the last two games.
Australia Eye Perfect Group Stage Finish
The win marked Australia’s third consecutive triumph and confirmed their place in the semifinals. They will next face England on October 22, aiming to maintain their unbeaten record, while Bangladesh will look to regroup against Sri Lanka on October 20.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 198/9 in 50 overs (Sobhana Mostary 66*, Rubya Haider 44; Alana King 2-18, Georgia Wareham 2-22, Ashleigh Gardner 2-47, Annabel Sutherland 2-42) Australia 202/0 in 24.5 overs (Alyssa Healy 113*, Phoebe Litchfield 84*) Result: Australia won by 10 wickets.
