Annabel Sutherland excelled with both bat and ball, while Ashleigh Gardner hit an unbeaten century, guiding Australia to a commanding six-wicket victory over England in the Women’s World Cup on Wednesday, securing the top spot on the points table.
England, currently third, experienced their first defeat of the tournament as the defending champions chased down the 245-run target with 57 balls remaining. Gardner scored 104 off 73 balls, including 16 boundaries, and Sutherland remained undefeated at 98, contributing to their 180-run partnership.
Both England and Australia have already secured spots in the semifinals alongside South Africa. Meanwhile, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka are vying for the final spot.
“It was quite enjoyable, always fun batting with Ash. She keeps the game lively, making it a good experience at the other end,” said Sutherland, the player of the match, who also claimed three wickets after Australia opted to field first.
England’s openers amassed 55 runs in the initial eight overs, with Tammy Beaumont achieving double digits in two of Kim Garth’s overs. However, Sutherland’s (3-60) wicket-maiden in the ninth over dismissed Amy Jones (18), stemming the run flow.
England managed just 36 runs in the following 10 overs, with Heather Knight (20) being trapped lbw by Sophie Molineux (2-52) on Indore’s spin-friendly pitch.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (7) fell to Alana King, leading to a 12-over phase where England’s only boundary resulted from a misfield allowing four byes. King conceded just 20 runs in 10 overs, and Beaumont’s (78) resistance ended when she was caught attempting to hit Sutherland for a six.
England was struggling at 168-6 after 40 overs when Charlie Dean (26) and Alice Capsey (38 off 32) tried to rally, adding a quick 61 runs in their seventh-wicket stand, helping them reach 244-9.
Australia had a shaky start, with openers Phoebe Litchfield (1) and injured captain Alyssa Healy’s replacement Georgia Voll (6) dismissed early. Ellyse Perry’s mis-timed shot was caught by bowler Linsey Smith, leaving them at 24-3 in the sixth over.
Beth Mooney (20) assisted Sutherland in stabilizing the innings with a 44-run fourth-wicket partnership, and once Gardner settled, they accelerated the scoring.
England, having participated in three of the last four World Cup finals and winning two, failed to apply pressure on the batters as Gardner reached her fifty in 47 balls.
Sutherland held firm as Gardner took just 22 more balls to achieve her third century in the format, scoring the winning runs with a lofted drive over long off.
England captain Sciver-Brunt mentioned her team didn’t have enough runs to defend.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, so we’ll be prepared for (Australia) if we meet them again,” she added.
Hosts India will face New Zealand on Thursday.
