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The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's poorest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six missed opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”