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The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was first recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

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

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days before.

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