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Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

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

Interestingly, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the six chances that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six missed opportunities represented the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy said.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which places her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

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

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was made to look easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” said star performer King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”