Australian skipper Alyssa Healy crushes Cricket World Cup records

Australia has chased down a mammoth 331 to beat India by three wickets with an over to spare in a thrilling Women’s World Cup clash in India.

It was the highest successful run chase in the history of women’s One Day Internationals (ODIs). At the halfway mark, India were sitting pretty having piled up their highest ever World Cup total of 330 all out. But Alyssa Healy had other ideas.

The Australian skipper unleashed a stunning exhibition at the crease*, cracking 142 off 107 balls in a knock that will go down among the finest in tournament history.

Her innings, laced with 21 fours and three sixes, set up the record chase and rewrote the history books, eclipsing* Sri Lanka’s previous best of 302 against South Africa in 2024.

Healy was in control from the outset, racing to her half-century in just 35 balls, the fastest fifty of this tournament, before bringing up her sixth ODI hundred, her first as captain.

“Very proud of the team. It looked like 360 at one stage. We identified which bowlers to target and adapted beautifully,” Healy said.

After her dismissal, Australia wobbled briefly, losing a couple of quick wickets, but with the required rate under control, panic never set in.

The ever reliable Ellyse Perry held the lower order together. Battling cramps, she returned to the crease in the dying moments after earlier retiring hurt and finished the job in style, dancing down the track to loft Sneh Rana straight down the ground for the winning six.

Earlier, India’s openers Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana had set the stage alight, adding 155 off 24.3 overs in an exciting start.

Mandhana reached a personal milestone*, crossing 5000 career runs in ODIs, becoming only the second Indian and the fifth overall to do so. She was also reached it fastest.

But from 294-4, India’s innings crashed, as they lost their last six wickets for just 36 runs, bowled out in 48.5 overs*, a collapse that cost them dearly.

“We could have easily scored 30 more runs. The last six overs cost us the game,” Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said.

For Australia, Annabel Sutherland gave herself the perfect birthday gift, a maiden* five-wicket haul on the day she turned 24.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• ODI: one day international, a cricket format between countries that takes place in a single day, during which each international team faces a fixed number of fifty overs.
• the crease: the line drawn on the ground where the batter stands to hit the ball
• eclipsing: outshining, surpassing, exceeding, topping
• milestone: an important event in the development or history of something
• overs: each over consists of a bowler bowling six legal deliveries to the batter

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What was the run total by India that Australia was chasing?
2. How many runs did Alyssa Healy put on over 107 balls?
3. How many fours and how many sixes did she put on?
4. What was the previous record for the biggest chase, which team set it and when?
5. How many times has Healy hit a century at ODIs and how many as the team captain?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Key facts
After reading the Kids News article on this inspiring win, write the key facts from the match:

Who –

What –

When –

Where –

Why –

Highlight any emotive language used in the article.

How would this article differ if written for a cricket magazine vs. a primary school audience?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What makes a sports win memorable?

What skills are needed besides physical ability?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Girls in sport
There are many sports in which we’re seeing an increase in female participants. What sports have you noticed, or maybe joined yourself, where you have seen an increase in the number of girls now playing? How do you feel about this? Why do you feel this way? Do you think it’s a positive shift? Why/why not?