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Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back centuries to guide her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off the Indian team at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just 24.5 overs.

“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,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair added 202 came after possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper 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 bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that phase of the competition – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a berth in the last-four. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

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

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars

Instead, the spinners thrived, led by Alana King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Other spinners Wareham (two for 22 off seven overs) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their highest-ever score against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had chased down 330 runs against India a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”