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The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back hundreds to guide her squad into the last four of the World Cup, motivating them to a merciless comprehensive victory over their opponents.

Healy finished not out on 113, arriving just a few days after her similarly impressive 142 that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to dash to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

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

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the pair put on 202 followed possibly the team's poorest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in particular for spilling two of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and luckily delivered,” she added.

From the time statistics was first recorded on fielding metrics in 2013, the half-dozen dropped catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding showing 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,” Healy commented.

It helped the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their best-ever score in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with Sobhana Mostary scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Bangladeshi team against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to making sure Australia’s chase remained manageable.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was delighted to discover that the victory, which places her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The 35-year-old captain raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest hundred of the World Cup, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from her partner in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her maiden World Cup fifty off 46 deliveries soon after Healy reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie duo at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

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

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

A batter's 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against the Indian side a few days earlier.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” remarked player-of-the-match King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”