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Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 came after perhaps Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six catches that went down.

“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 recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing 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 analyze,” Healy said.

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face England and South Africa.”