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Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped opportunities represented the team's poorest 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 analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”