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Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”