Alyssa Healy blasted her way to a World Cup century in Wellington to put Australia in prime position to progress to Sunday’s final.
With Australia out to erase all memories of the 2017 World Cup exit at the semi-final stage, Healy defied misty early conditions and a delayed start to smash 129 in a mammoth 216-run opening stand with Rachael Haynes after the Aussies were sent in to bat by the West Indies.
Australia finished their 45 overs, after the match was shortened, on a mammoth 3-305 on the back of Healy’s super start.
It was Healy’s first hundred for the tournament, joining Hayes and captain Meg Lanning as Australian century-makers, the foxjmtzywurth for her career and her first in an ODI since 2019.
Healy stamped herself as a big-game player with the triple-figure effort having also smashed a matchwinning 75 in Australia’s T20 World Cup triumph against India in 2020
Having been displaced as the No.1-ranked batter by South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt before the game, Healy showed her class by blasting 17 fours and a six in her 107-ball innings.
Healy was slow to start, making just 11 from her first 29 balls before making her next 89 runs off just 62 deliveries.
She hit a no-ball for six to move to 94, hit the resultant free hit for four to move to 98 and got to triple figures with a couple of singles.
The match was reduced to 45 overs after rain delayed the start and a misty fog remained when the game began and Australia was sent in to bat.
Haynes was dismissed for 89, falling short of what would have been her third hundred of the World Cup, just after Healy’s exit, before Beth Mooney (43 not out) and Lanning (26 not out) guided Australia to the imposing total.
The winner will progress to Sunday’s final against either South Africa or England.
