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The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

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

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost 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, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

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

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”