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Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive hundreds to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”