Captain Alyssa Healy led from the front and powered Australia to a thumping win in Vizag over Bangladesh. Alyssa Healy was determined to get her side over the line and she did that with flying colours. She had a mixed day behind the stumps as Australia were sloppy in the field. But the defending champions were too good with the bat. After losing the toss, Australia kept Bangladesh down to 198/9 with Sobhana Mostary for Bangladesh scoring an unbeaten 66 off 80 balls while Rubya Haider scored 44 off 59 balls. Alana King, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, and Ashleigh Gardner picked up 2 wickets apiece.
In reply, Alyssa Healy put on a masterclass as she scored back-to-back centuries in Vizag to power Australia forward with an unbeaten 113 and was ably supported by Phoebe Litchfield who scored an unbeaten 84 off 72 balls as Australia got to the target in 24.5 overs to win by 10 wickets with 25.1 overs to spare and become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.
Sobhana Mostary’s unbeaten 66 helps Bangladesh recover to finish with 198/9
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Fargana Hoque and Rubya Haider came out to bat for Bangladesh while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Hoque made her intentions clear as she glanced it down to the fine leg fence. Darcie Brown had ball in hand from the other end. Haider got the outside edge that went away to the third man fence for a boundary. Haider was pinged on the pads and survived a close LBW shout. Schutt continued as Haider got under streaky boundary away through slips and gully for a boundary. Brown bowled a quiet over.
Schutt too kept things under check. Haider got another boundary away as he got the outside edge off Brown through slip and gully for a boundary. Haider flicked the bad ball through midwicket region for a boundary. Schutt continued as Litchfield put Haider down at first slip and it was a tough chance that went begging. Brown kept things under check as well. Schutt then got rid of Hoque for 8 off 24 balls with a boundary to her name.
Megan bowled short of a good length around the fifth stump. Hoque chased it away from her body and looked to play the expansive drive and got a thick outside edge as Mooney grabbed a top quality catch with both hands. Sharmin Akhter came out to bat next. Haider got the outside edge to Healy off Brown but the keeper batter and captain put it down. Sharmin played a glorious drive through mid-on for a boundary as Bangladesh finished with 37/1 after 10 overs at the end of the powerplay.
Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack post the powerplay and she was welcomed into the attack with a boundary by Haidert to the fine leg fence. Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next and she started with a maiden over. Gardner continued as Sharmin hung back and opened the bat face to steer it past the right of first slip for a boundary.
The 50 came up for Bangladesh in 12.4 overs. Sutherland continued as Sharmin pulled away into deep square leg and fine leg for a boundary. Gardner bowled a miserly over as Bangladesh reached 58/1 in 15 overs as umpires called for Drinks Break.
Sutherland continued after the break as Haider hit her for back-to-back boundaries through covers and cover point and also got a top edge over the keeper for a boundary. Alana King came into the attack next. She bowled a tidy over. Gardner changed ends as Haider lofted her over mid-off for a boundary. Gardner then removed Haider for 44 off 59 balls with 8 fours to her name.
Gardner tossed it up outside off-stump, Haider got down on one knee and looked to slog it up and over mid-on but failed to get the required elevation. She hit it straight to McGrath who took a simple catch on the edge of the ring. Nigar Sultana came to the crease and got off the mark straightaway. King bowled a maiden over. Gardner too kept it tight as Bangladesh reached 76/2 in 20 overs.
King continued and gave away 5 wides to the batting side as a bonus. Gardner removed Sharmin next for 19 off 33 balls with 3 fours to her name. Gardner tossed it up nicely on the stumps, Sharmin planted her front leg and looked to hit it over mid-on but got it off the toe end of the bat. She chipped it straight to Sutherland who took a safe catch. Sobhana Mostary came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
King continued as she gifted 4 byes to the batting side. Gardner continued and bowled a decent over. King continued as Bangladesh got to her hundred in 24.2 overs. At the end of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the game, Bangladesh were 101/3. Sutherland came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. King continued and removed Sultana for 12 off 35 balls.
King tossed it up nicely on the stumps. Sultana decided to take it on and break the shackles. She stepped out of the crease and looked to slog it across the line but missed it completely. She tried to get back but Healy was quick to whip the stumps. Shorna Akter came out to bat next. Sutherland continued as Shorna survived a scare with Healy cannot hold onto the catch. King bowled a maiden over. Sutherland bowled another good over as Bangladesh reached 109/4 in 30 overs.
King continued as Shorna was put down at first slip by Mooney. Sutherland continued as Mostary broke the shackles as she backed away and whacked the short ball over top of midwicket for a boundary. Mostary then cut her away through cover point region for a boundary. Drinks was taken with the score at 118/4 in 32 overs. King continued after the break and kept things really tight.
Brown returned to the bowling crease as Shorna broke the shackles and pulled it over top of midwicket for a boundary. King continued and got rid of Shorna for 7 off 24 balls with one four to her name. King tossed it up around the fourth stump line that gripped and turned away. Shorna prod forward to defend as the ball kissed the outside edge and Mooney took a good low catch at first slip. Ritu Moni came out to bat next. King finished her great spell.
Brown bowled a miserly over. Georgia Wareham came into the attack next. She struck for Australia as she removed Moni for 2 off 9 balls. She bowled a flighted delivery full outside off-stump. Teaser from Wareham as Ritu pressed forward and looked to go over top of mid-off. She mistimed it from the toe end of her blade and McGrath took a comfortable catch at mid-off. Fahima Khatun came out to bat next. Brown bowled a miserly over. Wareham too kept it tight.
Mostary took the attack to Brown by hitting her for back-to-back boundaries down the ground and through midwicket for a boundary. Mostary completed a hat-trick of boundaries by caressing through the covers for a boundary. Bangladesh reached 150 in 40 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Wareham continued and bowled a tight over. Sutherland returned to the attack and removed Khatun for 4 off 14 balls.
Sutherland bowled a shorter delivery outside off-stump. Fahima hung back and went for the cut shot but it got big on her as she failed to keep it down and pick out Mooney at backward point who took a good catch by timing her jump to perfection. Rabeya Khan came out to bat next. Wareham bowled another tight over. Rabeya hit Sutherland past mid-off for a boundary. Wareham removed Rabeya for 6 off 11 balls with a boundary to her name.
Wareham tossed it up outside off-stump. Rabeya shuffled across the stumps and got down on one knee and went for the sweep. She failed to keep it down and Gardner from deep midwicket ran in and took a very good catch with firm hands. Nishita Akter Nishi came out to bat next. Bangladesh were 162/8 in 45 overs. Sutherland removed Nishi for 1 off 7 balls thanks to a successful use of DRS by Australia.
Sutherland bowled a slower ball that pitched around off and came back in. Nishi didn’t pick up the variation as she was beaten on the defence wears it on the front pad and looked OUT but the umpire thought otherwise. Replays showed no bat involved and three reds on ball tracking. The decision was reversed to OUT. Fariha Trisna came out to bat next as Sutherland finished her spell.
Mostary got the outside edge off Wareham as the ball goes past Mooney and away to the third man fence. Gardner continued as Mostary reached her fifty in 67 balls by getting a thick outside edge that ran away past Mooney at short third for a boundary. There was a mix-up in the middle but Trisna survived. Wareham gave away 5 wides as a gift to the batting side. Mostary then went deep in her crease and pulled it hard into the gap between mid-on and midwicket for a boundary.
Gardner was tasked with the final over. Mostary was first dropped by Sutherland at long-on who dived but couldn’t hold on. Mostary then hit Gardner for a boundary by rocking back and pulled it to right of deep midwicket for a boundary. Wareham dived to get fingertips to it but dropped it as the ball trickled away to the ropes. Runs came in ones and twos in the final over as Bangladesh finished with 198/9 in 50 overs. Mostary was unbeaten on 66 off 80 balls with 9 fours to her name. Trisna was unbeaten on 1 off 4 balls. 28 extras gifted by Australia.
It was a disciplined bowling display by Australia with Alana King leading the way with figures of 2/18 in 10 overs. Georgia Wareham chipped in with 2/22 in 7 overs. Annabel Sutherland finished with 2/41 in 10 overs. Ashleigh Gardner finished with 2/48 in 9 overs. Megan Schutt finished with 1/11 in 5 overs. Darcie Brown finished with 0/52 in 9 overs. This meant Australia needed 199 runs to win off 50 overs to reclaim top spot and become the first team to officially qualify for the semi-finals.
Alyssa Healy & Phoebe Litchfield decimate Bangladesh by 10 wickets with 25.1 overs left
Chasing 199 for the win, Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield came out start for Australia while Fariha Trisna had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Trisna started with a maiden over. Nishita Akter Nishi came onto bowl from the other end. She too bowled a tight over. Litchfield broke the shackles as she took the aerial route against Trisna and lofted it over wide mid-on for a boundary. Litchfield then advanced and pulled it over forward square leg for a boundary. Nishi continued as Healy got into the act by playing a cheeky shot by shuffling across and lapped it over vacant fine leg region for a boundary.
Healy then took the attack to Trisna smashing her for back-t0-back boundaries over mid-on and midwicket region. Trisna gifted 5 wides to the batting side before Healy hit her again by pulling it over midwicket region for a boundary. Nishi continued and brought calm to the proceedings a little bit with a couple of runs in the over.
Rabeya Khan came out to bowl next as Healy greeted her by staying deep in the crease and punched it beautifully between covers and cover point for a boundary. Litchfield got into the act as she cut it past diving cover point for a boundary.
Litchfield then shuffled across the stumps and lapped it away over the keeper for a boundary as the 50 came up for Australia and of the partnership in 7.2 overs. Litchfield then stepped out of the crease and drove it straight to covers where a fumble allowed a boundary. Litchfield was on a roll as she skipped down the track and got to the pitch of the ball to play the lofted drive wide of long-off for a boundary.
Rabeya continued as Healy danced down the track and whipped it nicely wide of mid-on for a boundary. Ritu Moni came into the attack. Healy took the attack to Moni by hitting her for back-to-back boundaries through midwicket and a streaky one past the leg stump to the fine leg fence. At the end of the first powerplay, Australia were 78/0 in 10 overs.
Rabeya continued after the powerplay as Litchfield got the outside edge that went away past first slip for a boundary. Moni bowled a rare quiet over. Fahima Khatun came into the attack next. Litchfield launched her over mid-off for the maximum by playing a no look shot. Healy heaved it away for a boundary through midwicket region. Moni continued as Litchfield survived with a missed stumping chance by Haider. The 100 came up for Australia in 13.5 overs.
Trisna returned to the attack as Healy got to her half-century in 43 balls. Moni continued as Litchfield got to her fifty in 46 balls. Australia reached 110/0 in 16 overs as we paused for a quick Drinks Break. Trisna continued after the break as Healy planted her front leg and reached out to lift it over covers for a boundary. Shorna Akter came onto bowl next. Litchfield rocked back and pulled the short ball to square of wicket at square leg where Sultana misfielded and let it go.
Healy then hit Moni by thumping it over mid-off for a boundary. Hoque then made a meal of it and dropped Litchfield in the deep off Shorna. Healy then stepped it on by hitting Shorna for back-to-back boundaries through deep midwicket and then through backward square leg. Australia reached 145/0 in 20 overs. Moni continued as Healy hammered her past long-on for a boundary. Then she hit Moni down the ground over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Khatun returned as Litchfield caressed through the covers for a boundary. Healy then swept it away through backward square leg and short fine leg where the fielder got there but couldn’t stop the ball. Rabeya returned as Healy shuffled across the line and swept it away over backward square leg for a boundary. Litchfield got down on one knee and slog swept it away to deep midwicket for a boundary.
Healy’s moment came when she reached back-to-back hundreds off 73 balls with a single. Healy was in a hurry to finish this off as she hit Moni for a hat-trick of boundaries over point and extra cover region off these balls. Australia needed just 7 runs to win now. Litchfield was also in a hurry as she leaned forward and drove it straight down the ground for a boundary to level the scores. Then came the winning runs as Litchfield pressed forward and drilled it straight down the ground for a boundary to beat mid-off. The target was achieved and the 200 up and of the partnership in 24.5 overs.
Healy remained unbeaten on 113 off 77 balls with 20 fours to her name. Phoebe Litchfield finished with an unbeaten 84 off 72 balls with 12 fours and a maximum to her name. 5 extras were given by the fielding side as Australia finished with 202/0 in 24.5 overs. 6 bowlers used by Bangladesh and all were taken to the cleaners as it was a bad day in the office for the Bangladesh bowlers. Alana King was adjudged the Player of the Match as Australia became the first team to officially qualify for the semi-finals.
What Lies Ahead.
We move back to Colombo for tomorrow’s clash as Sri Lanka will take on South Africa at 3 PM IST on 17th September 2025. Let’s hope that the rain stays away and we get a game in. Important two points up for grabs for both teams. Let’s see how things unfold them tomorrow.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Sobhana Mostary’s Frenetic Knock Ends Innings On A High Note