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Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” the captain said.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat 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 player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”