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The Australian skipper has delivered superb back-to-back centuries to lead her team into the last four of the Women's Cricket World Cup, inspiring them to a commanding comprehensive trouncing over their opponents.

The wicketkeeper-batter finished unbeaten on 113 runs, coming just four days after her equally impressive 142-run knock that defeated hosts India at the same Vizag stadium. This time, she shared an unbroken double-century opening partnership with Phoebe Litchfield (84 not out) to race to their goal of 199 runs in just 24.5 deliveries.

“I felt I was a little bit poor behind the stumps, and probably a bit as captain as well tonight, but we’ll accept the two points and move on,” Healy remarked.

Ironically, the utmost expertise of Thursday’s run-chase as the duo added 202 followed perhaps Australia’s shoddiest display in the fielding department under the captain's stewardship, with the captain criticizing herself in especial for spilling two of the six chances that went down.

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

From the time data was first recorded on fielding performance metrics in 2013, the six dropped catches marked the team's worst fielding showing at a World Cup tournament.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the tournament – we’ve been here a while, and it’s something we’ll review,” the captain commented.

This allowed the opposition to eke out 9-198 after they had chosen to bat, their highest total in an One-Day International against Australia, with a key batter scoring the first half-century ever for the Asian side against the reigning champions.

But Alana King mesmeric unbroken 10-over spell, in which she claimed 2-18 with four maiden overs, was vital to ensuring Australia’s target remained manageable.

The Captain Pleased with Victory that Confirms Knockout Place

The Australian skipper was thrilled to learn that the victory, which puts her unbeaten side 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 really cool,” she exclaimed.

The experienced skipper raced to her century off just 73 deliveries, the quickest century of the tournament, and ended with 20 fours off the 77 deliveries she faced 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 Half-Century

The young batter Litchfield struck 12 fours and one maximum, getting to her maiden tournament half-century off 46 deliveries soon after Healy got there off 43. They went on to record the third-highest stand by any Australian duo at a Women’s World Cup.

In the first innings, during the subpar fielding display, the captain spilled the easiest of edges off a teammate and also failed to hold on to a tough skied one off Annabel Sutherland. Annoyingly, she also did take a clean chance off Brown but failed to review when the umpire rejected their appeal.

The reinstated Darcie Brown bowled the quickest deliveries at the tournament so far but was nonetheless the Aussies’ costliest bowling option, conceding 52 runs without a wicket off her nine overs.

Spinners Excel as King Leads

In contrast, the spinners thrived, spearheaded by King, whose performance could have been even more productive if Beth Mooney hadn’t missed one in the slips.

Other spinners Georgia Wareham (two for 22 off seven) and Ash Gardner (2-48 off nine overs) both contributed, while Annabel Sutherland strengthened her standing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with her two for 41, taking her total to 13.

Rubya Haider’s 44 and Mostary’s not out 66 runs off 80 balls took the team to their record total against the Aussies, but the total was rendered easy meat by a side who had successfully pursued 330 runs against the Indian side a few days before.

“It's great when you’ve got the ‘Q’ next to your name in a World Cup,” remarked star performer King. “Certainly it won't end here. We look forward to returning to Indore to face the English team and the Proteas.”