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The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant consecutive centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

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

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” she added.

Since statistics was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest 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 something we’ll reflect on,” the captain said.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

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

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”