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The Australian skipper has delivered brilliant back-to-back hundreds to lead her squad into the semi-finals of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a merciless 10-wicket win over their opponents.

Healy finished not out on 113 runs, arriving just a few days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that saw off hosts India at the same Visakhapatnam venue. This time, she combined in an undefeated double-century opening partnership with her opening partner (84no) to dash to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and perhaps a bit as skipper as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” she said.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s chase as the duo added 202 came after perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the field under Healy’s stewardship, with the skipper scolding herself in especial for dropping a couple of the six chances that went down.

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

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance statistics in the year 2013, the six missed catches represented Australia’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 an issue we’ll review,” Healy commented.

It helped the opposition to manage 198 for 9 after they had opted to bat, their best-ever total in an One-Day International against the Aussies, with a key batter compiling the maiden half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over bowling performance, in which she took two wickets for 18 runs with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring the team's target wasn’t too challenging.

Healy Delighted with Win that Confirms Knockout Spot

Healy was pleased to learn that the victory, which places her unbeaten side top of the standings on nine points after four victories and a abandoned match, secures them a place in the semi-finals. “That's great news,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper sped to her hundred off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 balls she faced as she accelerated from her partner later in the innings after they had gone practically boundary-for-boundary towards their fifties.

Litchfield Shines with Maiden Tournament Fifty

Left-hander Litchfield hit 12 boundaries and one maximum, getting to her first World Cup half-century off 46 balls soon after her partner got there off 43. They went on to record the third-best stand by any Aussie pair at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding effort, Healy spilled the simplest of edges off a teammate and also was unable to grasp a tough lofted one off Annabel Sutherland. Frustratingly, she also take a clear chance off the same bowler but failed to review when the umpire turned down their appeal.

The recalled Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ most expensive bowler, going for 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as Alana King Stars

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

Fellow spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (two for 48 off nine) both chipped in, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her tally to thirteen.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and another's unbeaten 66 runs off 80 deliveries took the team to their highest-ever total against the Aussies, but the target was rendered easy meat by a team who had successfully pursued 330 against India a few days earlier.

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