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Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs 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 progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 came after perhaps the team's poorest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six catches that went down.

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

Since data was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

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

The 35-year-old captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

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

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

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

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”