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Alyssa Healy has delivered superb consecutive centuries to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

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

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches 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 luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was initially taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps 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 total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was vital to making sure the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

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

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side four days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to 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 take on England and South Africa.”