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Alyssa Healy has produced superb consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a commanding 10-wicket win over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

Since statistics was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the total was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”