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Alyssa Healy has executed brilliant consecutive centuries to guide her team into the semi-finals of the World Cup, motivating them to a dominant 10-wicket trouncing over their opponents.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated the Indian team at the same Vizag venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to race to their target of 199 runs in just under 25 overs.

“I thought I was a below par with the gloves, and probably a bit as skipper as well today, but we’ll accept the win and progress,” she said.

Interestingly, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo put on 202 came after perhaps the team's weakest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain scolding herself in especial for spilling a couple of the half-dozen catches that were missed.

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

From the time data was initially taken on fielding performance statistics in 2013, the six missed opportunities represented the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Perhaps it’s just that phase of the tournament – we’ve been here a little while, and it’s something we’ll reflect on,” Healy commented.

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

But the spinner's mesmeric continuous 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was crucial to making sure the team's chase remained manageable.

The Captain Delighted with Victory that Confirms Semi-Final Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to discover that the triumph, which places her undefeated team top of the group table on nine points after four wins and a abandoned match, guarantees them a place in the last-four. “That’s really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 balls, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 deliveries she confronted as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone almost boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and a six, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 deliveries shortly after Healy got there off 43. They went on to achieve the third-highest stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

Earlier, during the sluggish fielding display, Healy dropped the easiest of chances off Darcie Brown and also was unable to grasp a difficult skied one off another bowler. Annoyingly, she also take a clear catch off Brown but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the fastest balls at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the team's most expensive bowler, going for 0-52 off her nine overs.

Spin Attack Excel as Alana King Stars

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

Fellow spinners Wareham (2-22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her position as the competition's top wicket-taker with her 2-41, taking her tally to thirteen.

A batter'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 made to look straightforward by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days earlier.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said player-of-the-match King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We look forward to returning to the next venue to face the English team and South Africa.”