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The Australian skipper has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s poorest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the six catches that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily got the job done,” she added.

Since statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spin bowlers Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face England and South Africa.”