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Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to guide her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly the team's poorest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“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.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the six dropped catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain said.

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten team top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old captain sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and South Africa.”