Phoebe Litchfield achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the second youngest Australian woman to score an ODI century. Her outstanding performance led her team to a convincing 10-wicket victory over Ireland in Dublin.
In pursuit of a victory target of 218, Litchfield displayed an outstanding performance by scoring an unbeaten 106, while Annabel Sutherland also contributed with an impressive knock of 109 not out. Their efforts enabled Australia to reach the target in just 35.5 overs successfully.
The Phenomenal Rise and Triumphs of Women’s Cricket
Australia’s victory in the match concluded the series with a score of 2-0, marking the end of their northern summer tour. Before this, they had drawn the multi-format Ashes series with England, allowing them to retain the Ashes.
In their recent victory, Australia showcased a glimpse of the future by playing without critical players Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes, or Megan Schutt in an international match for the first time in 14 years.
Kim Garth, a seamer initially from Ireland, showcased her skills by taking three wickets for 34 runs against her former team. Additionally, Ashleigh Gardner made an impressive contribution, securing three doors for 38 runs.
In response, Sutherland and Litchfield both made their first white-ball international centuries. Sutherland scored 109 runs from 101 balls, which included 11 boundaries. On the other hand, Litchfield scored 106 runs from 114 balls, with 14 fours.
At 20 years and 101 days, the prodigy from NSW achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the second youngest Australian woman, after Meg Lanning, to score a century in a 50-over match.
Litchfield expressed that it holds significant meaning. We discussed the need to improve our initial performance, particularly in scoring runs. I have yet to be very successful in this aspect so far. It was fantastic for Bellsy Sutherland and me to go out and win the game.
The victory was achieved after Healy and Perry were both declared unfit for the match and had to be withdrawn from The Hundred tournament in England due to their injuries.
Perry sustained a knee injury while batting during Australia’s ODI victory against Ireland on Tuesday. As a result, she has been officially ruled out for up to six weeks to allow for recovery.
Despite battling through the Ashes with fractures in her left index finger and right ring finger, Healy, unfortunately, suffered another break in her index finger on Tuesday due to another blow.
Australia expects both players to be fully fit for their upcoming international match against West Indies in early October. Additionally, Litchfield will replace Healy at the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
The absences of Healy and Perry are a significant setback for The Hundred, considering their status as two of the most prominent figures in women’s cricket.
Australian cricketer Heather Graham withdrew from the tournament earlier this week due to a calf injury. Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell have decided to skip the men’s Hundred to manage their workloads effectively.
