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Alyssa Healy has executed superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the supreme expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps the team's poorest 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 were missed.

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

Since data was first taken on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six missed opportunities represented Australia’s poorest fielding showing at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was key to making sure Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, Healy dropped the simplest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a difficult skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the team's costliest bowler, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by Alana King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

Other spin bowlers Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven overs) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Sutherland consolidated her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, bringing her tally to 13.

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had chased down 330 against the Indian side four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”