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The Australian skipper has executed superb back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her equally impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 came after possibly the team's poorest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately got the job done,” she added.

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

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

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 fours and a six, getting 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-best partnership by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side four days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”