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Alyssa Healy has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

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

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

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

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days before.

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