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The Australian skipper has produced brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. 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 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps the team's shoddiest performance in the fielding department under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s worst fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever 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 Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, 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 almost shot for shot towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest partnership by any Australian pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

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

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”