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Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

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

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 runs followed possibly the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, 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 wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Knockout Place

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

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against India a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”