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Alyssa Healy has executed outstanding back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive victory over their opponents.

Healy finished unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's weakest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six dropped catches represented the team's poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

“Perhaps it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue 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 maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated team 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 35-year-old captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished 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 almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her maiden tournament fifty off 46 balls soon after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the official turned down their shout.

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

Spin Attack Thrive as Alana King Stars

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate going back to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”