Ash Gardner made history on Wednesday, scoring a brilliant century to help Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs in their opening match of the Women’s Cricket World Cup in Indore, India.
Coming in when Australia were struggling at 113 for 4, Gardner hit 115 runs from just 83 balls. This made her the first Indigenous Australian to score a hundred in a 50-over World Cup. Her innings also set a new record for the highest score by a woman batting at number six or lower in one-day internationals.
Thanks to Gardner’s heroics, Australia posted a massive total of 326 runs — their highest ever against New Zealand in this format. In reply, the White Ferns were bowled out for 237, despite a strong effort from their captain, Sophie Devine, who scored 111 off 112 balls.
Gardner said she enjoyed the pressure of the situation and focused on playing her natural game. She shared key partnerships with Tahlia McGrath and Sophie Molineux to rebuild the innings, and later teamed up with Kim Garth, who added a quick 38 runs at number nine.
New Zealand’s bowlers, especially Amelia Kerr and Lea Tahuhu, made a strong start, but couldn’t stop Gardner’s match-turning innings. Kerr also celebrated her 100th ODI wicket during the match.
When it was New Zealand’s turn to bat, they got off to a disastrous start, losing two wickets for no runs. Molineux, returning from injury, was excellent with the ball, taking 3 wickets for just 25 runs. Annabel Sutherland also played a key role, removing Devine and then taking two more wickets in the same over to finish off New Zealand’s hopes.
Australia’s bowlers worked well together, and their all-round team effort helped them extend their winning streak over New Zealand to 16 matches in a row.
