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The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

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

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping two of the half-dozen chances 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 luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing 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 reflect on,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was key to making sure Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Seals Semi-Final Place

Healy was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the 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 century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Shines with First World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after her partner got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the simplest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

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

A batter's 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to face the English team and the Proteas.”