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Alyssa Healy has produced outstanding back-to-back hundreds to steer her team into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket trouncing over Bangladesh.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just a few days after her equally brilliant 142 that defeated the Indian team at the identical Vizag stadium. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and move on,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of the day's chase as the duo added 202 followed possibly Australia’s weakest performance in the field under Healy’s leadership, with the captain scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my wicketkeeping, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” Healy continued.

From the time data was initially taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked Australia’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 something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

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

But Alana King mesmeric continuous ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was crucial to ensuring the team's target remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Confirms Semi-Final Spot

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the triumph, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she exclaimed.

The 35-year-old skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the World Cup, and finished with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

The Opener Shines with First Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Phoebe Litchfield struck 12 boundaries and a six, getting to her first tournament fifty off 46 deliveries soon after her partner reached hers off 43. They went on to achieve the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the official turned down their shout.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest balls at the World Cup so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowling option, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as King Leads

Instead, the slow bowlers thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, bringing her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 off 80 balls took Bangladesh to their highest-ever total against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India four days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer Alana King. “No doubt it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on the English team and the Proteas.”