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The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 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 total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India 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 going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”