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Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive victory over their opponents.

Healy finished not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain said.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

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

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

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

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”