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

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

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

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented 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 analyze,” the captain said.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

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

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”