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Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I thought I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under the captain's leadership, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen chances that went down.

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

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented Australia’s poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had chosen to bat first, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her undefeated side at the top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's great news,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the tournament, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with First Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to hold on to a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the official rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Stars

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

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a team who had chased down 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate going back to the next venue to face England and South Africa.”