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Alyssa Healy has executed superb consecutive hundreds to steer her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as captain as well today, but we’ll take the win and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 runs came after perhaps the team's poorest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

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

Since data was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches represented Australia’s worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

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

It helped Bangladesh 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 world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, reaching to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the simplest of chances off a teammate and also failed to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their record score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and the Proteas.”