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Alyssa Healy has delivered superb back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, coming just four days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. 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 felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly Australia’s weakest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” Healy continued.

Since data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen dropped opportunities marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” Healy commented.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their best-ever score in an ODI against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was key to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled 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 berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding effort, the captain dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both chipped in, while Sutherland strengthened her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and another's not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to take on England and South Africa.”