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Alyssa Healy has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India four days earlier.

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