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The Australian skipper has produced superb consecutive hundreds to steer her team into the last four of the World Cup, inspiring them to a dominant 10-wicket win over their opponents.

Healy remained not out on 113, arriving just four days after her similarly stellar 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84no) to chase to their goal of 199 in just 24.5 overs.

“I thought I was a little bit poor with the gloves, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll take the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Interestingly, the supreme professionalism of Thursday’s chase as the pair added 202 followed possibly Australia’s shoddiest performance in the field under the captain's leadership, with the skipper criticizing herself in particular for dropping a couple of the six chances that were missed.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my glovework, and I needed to compensate with the bat, and fortunately succeeded,” she added.

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

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

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat first, their highest total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the first fifty ever for the Asian side against the world champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken ten-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Pleased with Victory that Seals Knockout Place

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which puts her undefeated side top of the group table on nine points after four victories and a wash-out, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That’s really cool,” she said.

The experienced captain sped to her hundred off just 73 balls, the fastest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 boundaries off the 77 balls she confronted as she accelerated from Litchfield later in the knock after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their half-centuries.

The Opener Impresses with First Tournament Fifty

The young batter Litchfield hit 12 fours and one maximum, reaching to her first tournament half-century off 46 balls shortly after Healy got there off 43 balls. They went on to record the third-best partnership by any Australian duo at a World Cup event.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off Darcie Brown and also was unable to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also did take a clear chance off the same bowler but didn’t have it reviewed when the umpire turned down their shout.

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

Spinners Excel as King Stars

In contrast, the spinners excelled, spearheaded by King, whose spell could have been more successful if Beth Mooney hadn’t dropped one in the slip cordon.

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

A batter's 44 runs and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record score against the Australians, but the total was rendered straightforward by a side who had chased down 330 against India four days before.

“It's fantastic when you’ve got the ‘Q’ beside your name in a global tournament,” said star performer Alana King. “Certainly it doesn’t stop here. We anticipate returning to the next venue to take on England and South Africa.”