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The Australian skipper has produced brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their goal of 199 in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and probably a little bit as captain as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 runs came after possibly the team's shoddiest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen catches that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.

Since statistics was initially recorded on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display 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 something we’ll review,” the captain said.

It helped Bangladesh to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which places her unbeaten team 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 skipper raced to her hundred off just 73 balls, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone almost shot for shot towards their fifties.

The Opener Impresses with First World Cup Fifty

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also failed to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowler, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the spinners excelled, led by Alana King, whose performance could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It’s always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it won't end here. We anticipate returning to Indore to face England and the Proteas.”