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Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase 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 progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

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

The 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and ended 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 shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”