Ashleigh Gardner’s maiden ODI century, stellar fielding performances, and Alana King’s maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs highlighted another dominant victory for the Australian women in the third match of the ongoing Ashes WODI series in Hobart. Ruthless as ever, Australia defeated England by 86 runs, taking their tally to six points on the Ashes points table. Gardner’s all-round brilliance earned her the Player of the Match award.
England looked strong for a large portion of their chase, reaching 200 runs with just four wickets down and more than 13 overs in hand. Tammy Beaumont’s steady 54 off 77 and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s solid 61 off 68 provided a strong platform. However, after Georgia Wareham bowled Sciver-Brunt, the game began to tilt. Danni Wyatt-Hodge appeared poised to accelerate, batting on 35 off 31 balls, before attempting an inside-out shot over the infield against King in the 37th over. Phoebe Litchfield, running back from extra cover, dived full stretch to complete a stunning two-handed catch. This brilliant effort turned the tide as Australia seised the opportunity.
The breakthrough brought momentum to the hosts. In the very next over, Megan Schutt dismissed Alice Capsey for a two-ball duck. Kim Garth then contributed a pivotal moment, diving low to grab a dying ball and dismiss Amy Jones for 30. However, it was Gardner’s spectacular effort that stole the show. Positioned at deep midwicket, she leaped to take a one-handed catch to dismiss Sophie Ecclestone. Losing her balance, she smartly tossed the ball back in the air before stepping beyond the boundary, then re-entered the field to dive and complete the catch inches off the ground. It was a jaw-dropping moment that left the crowd and her teammates in awe.
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After that, England collapsed, losing their last six wickets for just 22 runs. King claimed her maiden ODI five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/46 as England were bowled out for 222 in 42.2 overs.
Earlier in the day, Australia’s top order struggled once again. Reduced to 59/4 in just 14.2 overs, the hosts were in trouble before Beth Mooney steadied the innings at number four. Mooney crafted a composed 50 off 64 balls and forged a crucial 95-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Gardner. Building on Mooney’s efforts, Gardner then joined forces with Tahlia McGrath for a 103-run stand. McGrath contributed a brisk 55 off 45 balls, while Gardner reached her maiden international century, scoring 102 off 102 deliveries.
Gardner’s knock was historic, making her only the second player to score a WODI century while batting at number six or lower. Her dismissal presented England with a chance to restrict Australia below the 300-run mark. However, Georgia Wareham, returning to the XI in place of Darcie Brown, had other ideas. She hammered Sophie Ecclestone for 16 runs in four deliveries during the final over, ending with an explosive 38* off just 12 balls at a staggering strike rate of 316.66. Wareham’s cameo propelled Australia to a formidable total of 308/8 in their 50 overs.
Brief Score: Australia-W 308/8 in 50 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 102 off 102, Nat Sciver-Brunt 2/51 in 10 overs) defeated England-W 222/10 in 42.2 overs (Nat Sciver Brunt 61 off 68, Alana King 5/46 in 8.2 overs) by 86 runs
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