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Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding consecutive hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

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

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” Healy continued.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a while, and it’s an issue we’ll analyze,” Healy said.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated 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 First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.

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

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”