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Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

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

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the duo put on 202 followed perhaps the team's poorest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

Since data was first taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

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

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

A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”