Alyssa Healy smashed her second straight century in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, guiding Australia to a dominant 10-wicket triumph over Bangladesh in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. With this victory, the defending champions became the first team to secure a semi-final spot, even with two group matches remaining. Chasing a target of 199, openers Healy and Phoebe Litchfield comfortably completed the chase in just 24.5 overs. Although the game ended in a lopsided outcome, Bangladesh offered moments of resistance along the way.
Bangladesh's poor batting form continues
Bangladesh chose to bat first but suffered an early setback when Fargana Hoque was dismissed for just 8 runs. Despite the initial loss, Rubya Haider anchored the innings with a gritty 44 off 59 balls, hitting eight boundaries—though several came from edges. Haider also benefited from a dropped catch by Phoebe Litchfield at 22 in the seventh over. Growing more assured as she batted, Haider built a promising 41-run partnership with Sharmin Akhter, putting Bangladesh in a strong position at 73 for 1 by the 18th over. However, her wicket triggered a rapid decline in their batting lineup.
Australia’s spinners took charge in the middle overs, with Ash Gardner, Alana King, and Georgia Wareham each snaring two wickets. Their disciplined bowling reduced Bangladesh to 165 for 9, with King’s ability to generate drift and turn making it particularly hard for the batters to score. In the midst of Bangladesh’s struggles, Sobhana Mostary stood resilient. Starting cautiously, she watched wickets fall at the other end, but she soon shifted gears and began attacking, showing determination as she batted alongside the tail.
Mostary’s effort was highlighted by eight boundaries as she became the first Bangladeshi woman to register a half-century against Australia, finishing unbeaten on 66. Her innings was helped by a missed catch and some loose deliveries from the Australian bowlers. Thanks to her counter-attacking play, Bangladesh managed to reach a respectable 198 for 9 despite the numerous setbacks.
Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield do the work for Australia
Australia’s chase was nothing short of ruthless as they made light work of Bangladesh’s total. Alyssa Healy, carrying the momentum from her previous century against India, started patiently but soon found her rhythm. In the fifth over, she launched her assault by dispatching Fariha Trisna for three crisp boundaries, setting the tempo for the innings. Partnering with Phoebe Litchfield, Healy kept the scoreboard ticking, and their partnership blossomed into a century stand in just 83 balls. Both openers looked equally fluent, but Healy eventually shifted gears and assumed complete control once they crossed their respective fifties.
Bangladesh’s bowlers struggled to contain Healy’s aggression as she showcased her trademark range of strokes. After surviving a chance on 67—dropped at short fine leg—she capitalized brilliantly. In the 20th over, Healy toyed with Shorna Akter’s bowling, sweeping and slog-sweeping her for consecutive boundaries. With the pitch offering little assistance, Bangladesh’s spinners could only watch as Healy’s powerful shot-making dismantled their plans. Her ability to place the ball smartly and rotate strike kept the scoring rate soaring.
Boundaries continued to flow freely as Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, and Ritu Moni faced the brunt of Australia’s commanding batting display. Litchfield played the perfect supporting role, anchoring the chase with calm assurance while Healy dominated from the other end. Fittingly, Litchfield sealed the victory by striking two consecutive fours, as Australia chased down the target in just 24.5 overs. The partnership not only underlined Australia’s batting depth but also served as a warning to the rest of the teams ahead of the semi-finals.
Scorecard: Bangladesh 198/9 in 50 overs (Sobhana Mostary 66*, Rubya Haider 44; Alana King 2-18, Georgia Wareham 2-22) lost to Australia 202 for no loss in 24.5 overs (Alyssa Healy 113*, Phoebe Litchfield 84*) by 10 wickets