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Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after possibly the team's weakest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was initially taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever total in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder 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 chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India four days before.

“It's great 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 going back to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”