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Alyssa Healy has produced superb back-to-back hundreds to steer her squad into the last four of the World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket win over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished not out on 113, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142 that saw off hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken 200-run opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just under 25 overs.

“I felt I was a not at my best behind the stumps, and perhaps a little bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the supreme expertise of the day's run-chase as the pair put on 202 runs followed possibly the team's weakest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in particular for spilling a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I felt somewhat let down with my wicketkeeping, and I had a little bit to make up for with the bat, and fortunately delivered,” she added.

From the time data was first taken on fielding metrics in the year 2013, the six missed catches marked the team's poorest fielding display at a Women’s World Cup.

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

This allowed the opposition to manage 9-198 after they had chosen to bat first, their highest total in an ODI against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's spellbinding unbroken ten-over spell, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was key to ensuring Australia’s chase wasn’t too challenging.

The Captain Delighted with Win that Seals Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated team at the top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's fantastic,” she said.

The experienced captain raced to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest hundred of the World Cup, and finished with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced as she pulled away from Litchfield in the latter stages in the knock after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with Maiden World Cup Half-Century

The young batter Phoebe Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain spilled the simplest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also take a clear chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their shout.

The recalled Brown bowled the fastest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spinners Thrive as Alana King Stars

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

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland consolidated her position as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her total to thirteen.

A batter's 44 runs and Mostary’s not out 66 off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Australians, but the target was made to look straightforward 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,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it won't end here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”