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The Australian skipper has produced outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the six catches that went down.

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

Since data was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”