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Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly the team's weakest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time data was first recorded on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”