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The Australian skipper has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

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

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

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

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy said.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”