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Alyssa Healy has produced superb back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the duo added 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

Since data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain said.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

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

Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened 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 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

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