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The Australian skipper has produced outstanding consecutive hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the World Cup, driving them to a merciless comprehensive trouncing over Bangladesh.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, arriving just four days after her similarly impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an undefeated 200-run first-wicket stand with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 deliveries.

“I felt I was a below par behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six 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 batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

From the time statistics was first taken on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’s poorest fielding display 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,” Healy said.

It helped Bangladesh to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against Australia, with Sobhana Mostary compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Bangladeshi team against the reigning champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding continuous ten-over bowling performance, in which she claimed two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

Healy was pleased to discover that the triumph, which puts her unbeaten side at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 balls she confronted as she pulled away from her partner later in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to grasp a tough skied one off another bowler. Frustratingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire rejected their shout.

The reinstated Brown bowled the quickest balls at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Leads

In contrast, the slow bowlers thrived, led by King, whose spell could have been even more productive if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slips.

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (two for 48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland consolidated her standing as the competition's top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever score against the Aussies, but the target was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” said player-of-the-match Alana King. “No doubt it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”