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Alyssa Healy has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the field 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 batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

From the time data was initially taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, 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 almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy 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 subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

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

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”