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The Australian skipper has executed brilliant back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, driving them to a commanding 10-wicket victory over their opponents.

Healy remained unbeaten on 113, coming just a few days after her similarly brilliant 142 that saw off hosts India at the identical Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an unbroken 200-run first-wicket stand with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their target of 199 in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a not at my best with the gloves, and perhaps a little bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost professionalism of the day's chase as the pair added 202 runs followed possibly the team's poorest performance in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the half-dozen chances that went down.

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

From the time data was first taken on fielding statistics in 2013, the half-dozen missed opportunities marked Australia’s poorest fielding display at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s an issue we’ll reflect on,” the captain commented.

It helped the opposition to eke out 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their highest score in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over spell, in which she took 2-18 with four maidens, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

Healy Pleased with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

The Australian skipper was pleased to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated side at the top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a berth in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper sped to her century off just 73 deliveries, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with First World Cup Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her maiden World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy reached hers off 43 balls. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Australian pair at a World Cup event.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding effort, the captain dropped the easiest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a difficult lofted one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also did take a clear catch off the same bowler but failed to review when the official rejected their shout.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was still the team's costliest bowling option, conceding 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Thrive as King Leads

Instead, the spinners excelled, led by King, whose spell could have been more successful if a fielder hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record 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 always nice when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a global tournament,” said star performer King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to going back to the next venue to face England and the Proteas.”