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INDORE: Ashleigh Gardner’s sublime 104* and Annabel Sutherland’s 98* powered Australia to an easy win over arch-rivals England in the 23rd fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The victory marked Australia’s fifth consecutive victory in six matches, and they are now the only unbeaten side in the tournament.
Set 245, Australia hit the winning runs at ease, losing just four wickets in the process with 57 balls to spare.
The defending champions’ chase started on a shaky note as they lost the opener Phoebe Litchfield on the third ball of their innings. She was castled for one from two balls.
England had left Australia reeling with two more wickets in the next four overs. Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry were the next batters to be dismissed. Both made six and 13 runs respectively.
Consequently, Australia were 24-3 in 5.2 overs before a 44-run partnership between Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland, bringing the total to 68 in 15.5 overs.
However, Sophie Ecclestone scalped the prize wicket of Mooney, further derailing the chase. She scored 20 from 44 balls with the help of a boundary.
At this stage, England gained a foothold on the match, but it was Sutherland’s and Gardner’s monumental 180-run stand that took the game away from the Three Lions.
Both batters not only took the game away from England but also batted so briskly that the game ended in 40 overs.
Gardner’s knock was peppered with 16 fours, whereas Sutherland struck nine fours and six and ended up two runs shy of what could have been a magnificent hundred.
For England, Linsey Smith picked up two wickets in her eight overs.
Earlier, after being put into bat, England scored 244-9 in their 50 overs, courtesy of Tammy Beaumont’s composed knock.
Beaumont remained the cornerstone in England’s batting lineup and made 78 from 105 balls, studded with 10 fours and a six.
Alice Capsey was the second-highest scorer for her team, making 38 from 32 balls with the aid of five fours.
For Australia, Annabel Sutherland starred with the ball, picking up three vital wickets in her quota of 10 overs.
