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Alyssa Healy has produced superb consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

Since data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”