Here’s how Ian Bishop called Pheobe Litchfield’s sensational century in the ICC Women’s World Cup semifinal against India at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. “The phenom named Phoebe went viral on social media at the age of 16, batting in a nets session. And six years later, she brings up her first World Cup hundred, a semifinal knock of the highest class.”
The video Bishop was referring to was posted on X by @CricketNSWWomen with the caption: “Some pretty good shots here. Introducing Phoebe Litchfield.” It showcased 16-year-old Litchfield’s stunning technique and footwork, something the world got to see in Navi Mumbai once more as – now aged 22 years and 195 days – she went to become the youngest batter to hit a century in a Women’s World Cup knockout game. The century came off just 77 balls and she was eventually dismissed for a sensational 93-ball 119.
WATCH: PHEOBE LITCHFIELD IN NETS
Some pretty good shots here.
Introducing Phoebe Litchfield. pic.twitter.com/IR1umhErky
— NSW Women’s Cricket Team (@CricketNSWWomen) July 9, 2019
On the back of that viral video, Litchfield made her debut in the Women’s Big Bash League at 16 too, and scored a half century in just her second match for Sydney Thunder. After graduating from high school, she played for Australia A against England and hit her first WNCL century for NSW in October 2022. Her debut came in the T20I format for Australia in India. In her first ODI knock, it was fitting that Litchfield got to bat alongside Aussie great Meg Lanning in January 2023 against Pakistan.
The then-19-year-old scored a match-winning 78 not out and shared a partnership of 137 with Lanning. That day she was filling in for Alyssa Healy at the top of the order. Afterwards she said: “I am happy to run drinks for a long time. I am just happy to be around this group. If there is an opportunity I’ll take it but I will be pretty happy to see Midge (Healy) back.”
Now, she is not just Healy’s regular opening partner, but seen as the centerpiece to Australia’s batting lineups of the future. It helps that she relishes batting in India because of her comfort against spin, using the sweeps and reverse sweeps to devastating effect but also dancing down the track. In Mumbai early last year, she was involved in a 189-run partnership with Healy as she scored a classy 119 to power her side to a mammoth 338/7. And it was Healy who had the best seat in the house.
“I mean, at 20 years of age, what an unbelievable talent we’ve unearthed,” Healy had said then. “To have two ODI hundreds under her belt already is scary. She’s one for the future no doubt, for me it’s an amazing experience to stand at the other end and watch the next generation.”
Unsurprisingly, she brings out the reverse frequently to great effect in white-ball cricket, something she attributes to her hockey background. “I have to play hockey right-handed so it took me a while to get good at that. When the reverse comes out, that’s sort of a hockey shot,” she had told ESPNCricinfo once.
The approach against spinners showed her solid fundamentals in cricket as she went forward and back as the length demanded. After her debut against Pakistan, she was asked about being in the limelight so soon in her career. “I try not to think too much about it,” she had said. “It probably comes on when I fail a bit more and I look back and I go, ‘am I as good as you know, everyone says I am?’ but I think it’s just down to watching the ball at the end of the day and once I get on the field, it goes away, which is nice.”
