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The Australian skipper has produced brilliant consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

Healy remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

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

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

A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”