Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner put on a show for the ages as Australia thrashed England by 6 wickets with 57 balls to spare. Both of them not only performed with the bat but shone with the ball earlier in the day. Australia put England into bat first and kept them down to 244/9 in 50 overs with Tammy Beaumont scoring a gutsy 78 but Annabel Sutherland picked up 3 wickets and Ashleigh Gardner picked up 2 wickets as well not to forget 2 wickets for Sophie Molineux and a wicket for Alana King who bowled really well for her 1/20 in 10 overs.
In reply, Australia were in trouble at 68/4 in the 16th over but recovered magnificently through the partnership of an unbeaten 180 runs off 148 balls between Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner where Sutherland was unbeaten on 98 while Gardner was unbeaten on 104 as the Aussies got over the line with 57 balls and 6 wickets in hand. Linsey Smith picked up a couple of wickets as Australia climbed to top of the table while England are in 3rd place with South Africa in 2nd place.
Tammy Beaumont’s gutsy 78 helps England post a competitive 244/9
Put into bat first, Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont came out to bat for England while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Beaumont got off the mark in delightful fashion by pulling it along the ground through backward square leg for a boundary. Kim Garth had ball in hand from the other end and she overstepped. The free hit went for a maximum as Beaumont smashed it over the bowler’s head straight as an arrow. Beaumont then caressed Garth through the covers for a boundary. Garth gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side as a bonus.
Schutt continued and bowled a miserly over. Garth bowled a rare maiden over. Schutt continued as Jones dispatched her through midwicket for a boundary. Jones was not done yet as she hit Jones for consecutive boundaries through the cover point region. Garth continued as Beaumont opened the face of the bat and guided it through third man for a boundary. Schutt continued and bowled a quiet over.
Beaumont took the attack to Garth by hitting her for a hat-trick of boundaries through forward square leg and through fine leg as well before cutting past the diving backward point fielder as well. Annabel Sutherland came into the attack and she struck first blood for Australia dismissing Jones for 18 off 26 balls with 3 fours to her name. She bowled a little fuller than good length on off-stump and got it to straighten a bit after pitching. Jones looked to knock it through mid-on but got beaten on the outside edge and played down the wrong line as the ball hit the top of the off-pole. Heather Knight came out to bat next.
Garth bowled a maiden over as England reached 55/1 in 10 overs at the end of the first powerplay. Sutherland continued after the powerplay and bowled another tight over. Sophie Molineux came into the attack next. Beaumont hit Molineux by whipping it over midwicket for a boundary. Sutherland continued and induced an outside edge past the keeper and away to the third man fence for a boundary. Molineux bowled another tight over. Sutherland continued as Beaumont took the aerial route and lofted it over mid-on for a boundary.
Knight took the attack to Molineux by dancing down the wicket and shovelled it to short midwicket for a boundary. England were 83/1 in 16 overs when Drinks was taken. Alana King came into the attack next. She bowled a tidy first over. Molineux continued as Knight came down the track and got close to the pitch of the ball and went over extra cover with an inside out shot. Molineux then dismissed Knight for 20 off 27 balls with 3 fours to her name.
Sophie bowled an arm ball on a good length on the middle and leg line. It skidded through and stayed low too. Knight hopped back to tackle it and fell into the trap. She failed to get her bat in line within time as the ball skidded past the inside edge and thud her on the front pad. This looked OUT but the umpire said no. Australia reviewed and got the decision overturned in their favour thanks to ball tracking showing three reds. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt came out to bat next.
King continued and bowled another quiet over. Kim Garth returned to the attack as Beaumont played late and chopped it brilliantly between backward point and short third man for a boundary. She got to her 24th ODI fifty in 59 balls. England were 98/2 in 20 overs. King continued and bowled a sensational maiden over. Garth continued as the 100 came up for England in 21.1 overs. Sciver-Brunt got her first boundary by completing 1000 ODI World Cup runs as possible by flicking it off the inside half of the bat and rushed away through backward square leg for a boundary.
King struck and got rid of England’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt for 7 off 14 balls with a boundary to her name. King bowled a flighted leg break on the middle stump line as the ball dipped on the batter as she stepped down the track to go downtown. The bat face turned in her hands as she looked to loft. The bat face turned in her hands as she looked to loft. The ball spun away as Sciver-Brunt sliced it to the mid-off region. Annabel Sutherland ran back a few yards and took the catch easily. Sophia Dunkley came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack next and bowled a miserly over. King continued to keep things tight as England reached 108/3 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings. Gardner continued and bowled a decent over. King continued and bowled another miserly over. Gardner too kept things tight. King bowled another miserly over. Gardner bowled another decent over as England reached 124/3 in 30 overs.
King continued and appealed for caught behind against Beaumont. The umpire said no. The Aussies appealed but there was no spike on Ultra Edge and so the decision stood and the review was lost. King conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Gardner continued and bowled another decent over. England were 135/3 in 32 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break, the second of the innings.
Annabel Sutherland returned to the attack after the break and bowled another tight over. Molineux returned for another spell and bowled another good over. Sutherland continued as Beaumont broke the shackles by shuffling across and going down on one knee and tried to play the ramp and managed to get the edge past the keeper for a boundary. Sutherland got her revenge in the end as she dismissed Beaumont for 78 off 105 balls with 10 fours and a maximum to her name.
Sutherland bowled a back of the hand slower delivery outside off-stump. Beaumont got underneath it and looked to slog it into the leg side but got it off the bottom half of the bat. She hit in the long-on region as Voll stationed right on the edge of the boundary grabbed it and she was about to lose her balance but threw up in the air as she stepped out and came back again to complete the catch. Emma Lamb came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Molineux continued as the 150 came up for England in 35.4 overs. Lamb hit Molineux by beating short fine leg for a boundary. Sutherland continued and removed Lamb for 7 off 10 balls with a boundary to his name. She bowled a back of the hand slower delivery on off-stump on a good length. Lamb didn’t pick up the variation as she was caught in the crease while defending it. She got beaten on the inside edge as the ball deflected off her back leg and onto the stumps. Alice Capsey came out to bat next.
Molineux continued and bowled a quiet over. King returned to the attack and bowled another tight over. Gardner returned to the attack and removed Dunkley for 22 off 48 balls. Gardner from over the wicket bowled an off-break on a good length outside off-stump. Dunkley stepped out of the crease and looked to swipe into the leg side as she failed to get to the pitch of the ball and missed it completely. Mooney behind the stumps collected it cleanly and whipped the bails in a flash. Charlie Dean came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. England were now 168/6 in 40 overs.
King continued and bowled a good over to finish his exceptional spell. Gardner continued as Dean got a lucky boundary through an under edge from a reverse sweep past Mooney. Sutherland returned as Dean took her on and pulled it away through square leg for a boundary. Capsey got into the act soon as she read it early and swivelled between long leg and deep square leg for a boundary. Gardner bowled another quiet over. Capsey took the attack to Sutherland hitting him for back-to-back boundaries through point region and through deep backward square leg as the 200 came up for England in 44.2 overs. England reached 203/6 in 45 overs.
Molineux returned to the attack. Capsey got down on one knee and helped it on its way by sweeping it fine between keeper and short fine leg for a boundary. Capsey continued to attack Sutherland by slog sweeping it to midwicket for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between Capsey and Dean. Dean then took on Sutherland by shuffling across and executed the scoop shot through vacant fine leg for a boundary. Sutherland ended his spell as well.
Molineux continued and broke the stand as she dismissed Capsey for 38 off 32 balls with 5 fours to her name. Sophie bowled full on the leg stump. Capsey got down on one knee to sweep as it was too full to execute the stroke and missed the inside edge. She was hit on the back pad and Australia went up and so did the finger. Capsey reviewed in hope and burnt the review for her team. Sophie Ecclestone came out to bat next.
Gardner then removed Dean for 26 off 27 balls with 3 fours to her name. Gardner bowled a good length outside the off-stump as Dean danced down the track and looked to hit across the line. She wasn’t to the pitch of the ball and closed the bat face early and it didn’t spin either and caught the leading edge of Dean’s willow as it flew straight to Litchfield at extra cover who took the catch. Linsey Smith came out to bat and got off the mark with a single. Ecclestone managed a boundary as he opened the bat face and squeezed it past cover and point for a boundary.
Molineux came to bowl the final over and we had a run out of Linsey Smith for 3 off 3 balls while coming back for the second run, as she was sent back for Eccelstone to keep strike. Lauren Bell came out to bat next and got off the mark. Ecclestone ended the innings with a boundary as she sat down on one knee and swept it behind square on the leg side to backward square leg for a boundary to end the innings. England finished their innings on 244/9 in 50 overs with Ecclestone unbeaten on 10 off 7 balls with 2 fours to her name while Bell was unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls. 13 extras given by the fielding side.
Annabel Sutherland’s bowling went for a bit towards the end but she finished with 3/60 in 10 overs. Sophie Molineux finished with 2/52 in 10 overs. Ashleigh Gardner finished with 2/39 in 9 overs. Alana King was impressive with her 1/20 in 10 overs. Megan Schutt finished with 0/43 in 7 overs while Megan Schutt finished with 0/21 in 4 overs. So, Australia will now need 245 runs to win off 50 overs to stay unbeaten in this tournament.
Ashleigh Gardner & Annabel Sutherland dazzles to take Australia over the line in 40.3 overs
Chasing 245 for the win, Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll came out to bat for Australia while Lauren Bell had ball in hand for England. Bell struck for England straightaway as she removed Litchfield for 1 off 2 balls. She bowled a good length delivery around the middle stump line pitched and swinging across the batter. Litchfield leaned forward to defend it straight and played down the wrong line and got beaten on the outside edge. The ball rattled the off-stump. Ellyse Perry came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary by glancing it down to fine leg fence.
Linsey Smith had ball in hand from the other end. Voll hammered her down the ground over the umpire’s head for a boundary. Perry then flicked the ball on the pads to square leg for a boundary. Perry then flicked Bell away through midwicket for a boundary. Smith continued and got rid of Voll for 6 off 7 balls with a boundary to her name.
Smith bowled an arm ball from around the wicket fuller length around off-stump. Voll got down on one knee and looked to drag the sweep shot on the leg side and was nowhere close to the pitch of the ball as it was not full to play the sweep shot and Voll missed it on the inside edge as the ball crashed onto the off-stump. Voll failed to keep her balance and tumbled on the turf as well. Beth Mooney came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Bell continued and bowled a quiet over. Smith got another wicket as she removed Perry for 13 off 19 balls with 3 fours to her name. Smith bowled an arm ball short of a length delivery at the stumps as the ball held in the surface a bit. Perry rocked back and looked to work it away on the onside. Perry got a leading edge and Smith grabbed a simple return catch. Annabel Sutherland came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon.
Bell continued and bowled a quiet over. Smith continued as Sutherland drives it beautifully through covers for a boundary. Nat Sciver-Brunt came into the attack next. Sutherland pulled her away through deep square leg and fine leg for a boundary. Sophie Ecclestone was introduced to bowl the last over of powerplay. Sutherland got a triple off Ecclestone. Mooney hit a boundary by rocking back and cut it between point region for a boundary. Ecclestone appealed against Sutherland for LBW and the umpire shook her head. England went for the review but the decision stood as there was an inside edge with the review burnt.
At the completion of 10 overs, Australia were 46/3 chasing 245 for the win. Sciver-Brunt continued after the powerplay and bowled a decent over. The 50 came up for Australia in 11 overs. Ecclestone continued and bowled a miserly over. Sciver-Brunt continued and bowled a tight over. Ecclestone bowled a decent over as well. Sciver-Brunt bowled another quiet over. Sutherland broke the shackles as she pulled Ecclestone into the gap through vacant deep midwicket for a boundary.
Ecclestone then removed Mooney for 20 off 30 balls with a boundary to her name. Ecclestone bowled short and pitched outside off-stump turning into the batter a bit. Mooney rocked back and pulled it to the left of short midwicket where Nat kept her eyes on the ball and dived full length to get both hands on the ball and took the catch. Australia were 4 down as Drinks was taken after 15.5 overs. Ashleigh Gardner came out to bat next.
Charlie Dean came into the attack next. She started her spell with a miserly over. Ecclestone kept things tight as well. Dean bowled another decent over. Ecclestone bowled another good over as Australia reached 78/4 in 20 overs. Dean continued as Sutherland broke the shackles by using her feet and shimmied down the track and beat point fielder for a boundary.
Gardner joined the party as she whipped away past short fine leg for a boundary. Linsey Smith came into the attack as Gardner took her on and chipped it straight down the ground to beat Dean at mid-off and away it went to the fence.
Dean continued as the 100 came up for Australia in 22.5 overs. Smith continued as Sutherland launched Smith by sweeping it over deep square leg for the maximum. Lauren Bell returned to the attack and bowled a decent over as Australia reached 114/4 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the chase. Dean continued as Sutherland stepped down the track and lofted it inside out over covers as the ball goes away to the fence as Sutherland reached her fifty in 66 balls as she held the innings together. This was also the 50-run stand between the Sutherland and Gardner.
Bell continued as Sutherland stepped down and drove it between cover and mid-off for a boundary. Gardner then took full toll of width offered as he threw the kitchen sink and got an outside edge that went between backward point and short third man for a boundary. Dean continued as Gardner tried to work it leg side and got a leading edge past short third man for a boundary. Nat Sciver-Brunt continued and bowled a decent over.
Ecclestone returned and bowled a poor ball as Gardner shimmied down the track to whip it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. At the completion of 30 overs, Australia were on their way at 155/4. Sciver-Brunt then delivered a poor ball as Sutherland flicked it away between deep square leg and fine leg for a boundary. Ecclestone continued as Sutherland rocked back to play the square cut and got the thick outside edge that ran away to third man fence. The 100-run stand also came up between Gardner and Sutherland. Soon, Gardner reached her 8th half-century in 47 balls with a boundary off Sciver-Brunt as she pulled her behind square.
Gardner was on a roll now as she hit the England captain for two more boundaries back-to-back through deep backward square leg and then over mid-off as she completed a hat-trick of boundaries. Alice Capsey was introduced into the attack. She bowled a decent first over of hers. Australia went to the second drinks break well-placed at 186/4 in 34 overs. Linsey Smith returned after the break. She bowled a decent over.
Gardner took the attack to Capsey by hitting her for back-to-back boundaries through covers and through deep midwicket and she completed a hat-trick of boundaries by rocking back and pulling it away to the right of deep midwicket as the 200 came up for Australia now in 35.3 overs. Smith returned and bowled a decent over. Bell continued as Sutherland moved into the 90s with a slap through short cover and mid-off for a boundary. The 150-run stand came up between the two players.
Gardner took the attack to Ecclestone and hit her for consecutive boundaries through deep backward point and then through extra cover as she moved closer to hundred as well. She entered the 90s and hit Ecclestone through an outside edge to the third man fence for a boundary. Bell continued as Gardner got to her century with a cut shot off Bell that raced away to third man fence as this was her 3rd ODI hundred and second in this World Cup and second at Indore as well. Gardner played out the over to give Sutherland a chance for her hundred as the score read 241/4 in 40 overs with 4 needed off 60 balls for the win.
Sutherland went for the aerial shot as Heather Knight dropped a tough chance at covers as the batter got a brace there. Sutherland drilled the next ball to long-on for a single and was left unbeaten on 98. Ashleigh Gardner after having a word with her partner hit the winning runs as she hit the fuller length ball past mid-off and away to the fence as Australia won the game easily in the end by 6 wickets with 57 balls to spare. Sutherland’s unbeaten 98 off 102 balls included 9 fours and a maximum while Gardner’s unbeaten 104 off 73 balls included 16 fours. 6 extras given by England bowlers.
Linsey Smith picked up 2/43 in 8 overs. Lauren Bell picked up 1/48 in 8 overs. Sophie Ecclestone finished with 1/62 in 9.3 overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt gave away 44 runs in 7 overs. Charlie Dean finished with 0/32 in 6 overs. Alice Capsey finished with 0/18 in 2 overs. So, Australia won by 6 wickets to go top of the points table. Annabel Sutherland for her all-round performance was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
The action shifts from Indore to Navi Mumbai for tomorrow’s big game. It is 4th placed India up against 5th placed New Zealand in a virtual quarter-final. The winner will most likely be the 4th team to go through to the semi-finals. The loser goes home for sure. India are on a 3-match losing streak and the pressure is on the home side to deliver against a solid looking New Zealand side.
We shall see how the game pans out tomorrow. All to play for in this game.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Tammy Beaumont’s Gutsy 78 Puts England In Strong Position