Before Laura Wolvaardt, only THIS player scored centuries in World Cup semi-final and final

India finally lived their dream moment in women’s cricket on Sunday (Nov 2). After heartbreaks in 2005 and 2017, they lifted their maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 52 runs at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. While India celebrated history, South Africa’s skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, walked away with pride. She had an incredible tournament with the bat, finishing as the top run-getter with 571 runs. What made her campaign special was the way she rose to the big occasions, scoring back-to-back hundreds in the semi-final and the final.

In the semi-final against England, Wolvaardt smashed 169 runs off 143 balls, leading her side to a dominant win. She followed that up with a classy 101 off 98 balls in the final against India. Even though South Africa fell short of the trophy, Wolvaardt’s consistency and temperament stood out throughout the tournament.

But here’s a twist, Laura Wolvaardt isn’t the first batter to achieve this rare feat of scoring centuries in both the semi-final and final of a World Cup. The first player to do so was Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy during the 2022 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand.

In the semi-final against West Indies at Wellington, she smashed 129 off 107 balls, setting up a massive total of 305 for Australia. Her explosive knock helped Australia cruise to a 157-run win. And she didn’t stop there.

In the final against England in Christchurch, Healy produced one of the greatest innings ever seen in women’s cricket, a stunning 170 off 138 balls. Australia posted 356/5 and went on to win by 71 runs, lifting their seventh World Cup title. Healy was named ‘Player of the Match’ in both knockout games and also the ‘Player of the Tournament.’

The key difference between the two? Healy’s twin hundreds powered Australia to glory, while Wolvaardt’s brilliance couldn’t quite take South Africa across the line. Yet, both players have etched their names in World Cup history for delivering when it mattered the most.