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The Australian skipper has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular 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 luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

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

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and South Africa.”