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Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s poorest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six 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 bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”