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Alyssa Healy has produced superb consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.

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

From the time statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

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

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Stars

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

Other spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's fantastic 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 anticipate going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”