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The Australian skipper has delivered outstanding back-to-back centuries to steer her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, motivating them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, arriving just four days after her equally stellar 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84 not out) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

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

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo put on 202 runs followed perhaps Australia’s poorest performance in the field under the captain's stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

“I felt somewhat let down with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the batting, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

Since data was first taken on fielding performance metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented the team'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 analyze,” Healy 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 the Aussies, with a key batter scoring the maiden fifty ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maidens, was crucial to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Win that Seals Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, guarantees them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she said.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically shot for shot towards their fifties.

Litchfield Impresses with First Tournament Half-Century

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, getting 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 pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clean chance off Brown but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Brown sent down the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

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

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's not out 66 off 80 deliveries took Bangladesh to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”