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Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally stellar 142 that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 followed perhaps the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the batting, and luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time data was first taken on fielding statistics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll review,” Healy said.

It helped the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, reaching to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”