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The Australian skipper has delivered superb consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six catches that went down.

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

Since statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads

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

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on England and the Proteas.”