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Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping two of the six catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy said.

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

But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

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

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”