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The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s poorest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.

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

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”