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The Australian skipper has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily got the job done,” she added.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated team top of the standings on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield in the latter stages in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was made to look straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to Indore to take on the English team and the Proteas.”