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Alyssa Healy has produced brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that went down.

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

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's worst fielding display 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 analyze,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

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

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”