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Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

Since data was initially recorded on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to discover that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side 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 World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”