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

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” 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 the Proteas.”