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The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

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

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 came after perhaps Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display 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 an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

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

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries 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 half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

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

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

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”