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Alyssa Healy has delivered brilliant back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to dash to their target of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and progress,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the pair put on 202 runs came after perhaps the team's shoddiest display in the fielding department under Healy’s leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and luckily succeeded,” she added.

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

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll analyze,” the captain commented.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest score in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Seals Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with Maiden World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy spilled the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean catch off Brown but failed to review when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose performance could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Fellow spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top 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 Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat 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’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to Indore to take on the English team and South Africa.”