Australia vs England is more than just a rivalry; it defines modern women’s cricket and inspires two nations. Witness World Cup shocks, record chases and a game that changed the tournament forever.
Sutherland and Gardner took centre stage with their batting heroics as England crumbled to 244 for 9. Leg-spinner King led the way for Australia, containing England’s middle-order with a miserly eight-over spell—performance details that were later reflected in the Australia Women’s National Cricket Team vs England Women’s National Cricket Team Score Card.
| Team / Innings | Runs / Wickets | Overs | Key Performances |
|---|---|---|---|
| England Women | 244 / 9 | 50.0 ov | Tammy Beaumont 78, Alice Capsey 38 |
| Australia Women | 248 / 4 | 40.3 ov | Ashleigh Gardner 104*, Annabel Sutherland 98* |
| Result | Australia Women won by 6 wickets | Player of the Match: Annabel Sutherland |
Annabel Sutherland 98
Annabel Sutherland starred with both bat and ball as Australia beat England by six wickets at Holkar Stadium to seal their place in the semi finals of the WomenaEUR(tm)s ODI World Cup. The off-spinner finished unbeaten on 98 off 112 balls, laced with nine fours and a six, as she shared an unbroken 180-run partnership with Ash Gardner as the hosts chased down a record target with 57 balls to spare.
It was a stunning innings from the pair and helped to turn a low-key game into one of the highlights of this tournament, which will see a rematch of the historic 1997 final between the two sides. Both teams have developed a deep rivalry in recent years as they have turned World Cup shocks and record chases into classic moments.
Sutherland also impressed with the ball, taking 3-59 and becoming the first woman to take five-wicket hauls in two consecutive games of a WomenaEUR(tm)s ICC event. Her guile and accuracy were on show as she removed Amy Jones, Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont in quick succession, before Sophie Dunkley and Charlie Dean were caught behind. Then came the run-out – which is sometimes known as a Mankad dismissal after India legend Vinoo Mankad enacted it in a Test against England in the late 1980s – which ended any hope of a comeback. It was the only time Dean was dismissed in this fashion as she tried to heave the ball across her body and found De Klerk at long-on.
Ash Gardner 104
Ash Gardner hit a brilliant unbeaten century and took two wickets to inspire Australia to victory over England at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday and remain undefeated in the Women’s World Cup. Gardner starred with the bat and with the ball to help her side overcome a disastrous start to their innings.
Despite Heather Knight’s battling 39, the visitors were reduced to 68-4 as Australia’s seamers struck regularly. Lauren Bell nailed Phoebe Litchfield in the first over and Linsey Smith removed Georgia Voller and Ellyse Perry to leave them struggling on 67-4.
But Gardner led the way as she and Annabel Sutherland added an unbroken 180-run fifth-wicket stand to ensure defending champions Australia made it home with six balls in hand. She was eventually caught slog-sweeping by Tammy Beaumont off Sophie Molineux as she moved to 104 not out from 73 balls.
Sutherland was also a key part of Australia’s bowling effort, taking three wickets as the hosts dominated the second half of England’s innings. Alana King pinned Beth Mooney and Sutherland was a key figure as the hosts stifled any resistance from the visitors, who were left to rue a number of missed chances with fielding and catching mistakes continuing to haunt them in the tournament. Including Gardner’s drop, which landed straight to Alice Capsey at deep square leg, they dropped eight catches in the match.
Amy Jones 78
A brilliant 180-run stand between Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner dug Australia out of early trouble and sent them into a commanding lead at the top of the Women’s World Cup standings. After the defending champions were reduced to 24 for three and then 68 for four at Holkar Stadium in Indore, Sutherland and Gardner would compile a massive total as Australia romped to victory with seven balls to spare.
England’s batting frailties were exposed as they slumped to 55 for 0 in the powerplay, with Linsey Smith and Kim Garth both picking up wickets. Smith would strike again in the sixth over, a jaffa from an off-break producing a superb return catch from stand-in skipper Beth Mooney off Phoebe Litchfield.
Garth struck again in the eighth over, a slog sweep from Nat Sciver-Brunt spilling off her pads to Heather Knight at midwicket. However, the England captain was to be dismissed shortly afterwards, misreading a slower Gardner delivery and spooning it high over the covers where Georgia Voll dived to collect it with aplomb.
Amelia Kerr and Sophia Dunkley would both be run out as England continued to struggle with the bat, the latter attempting to cut a quick single off Gardner and then holing out to long-on off Molineux. It was in the ninth over that Gardner would finally get to her century, an unbroken innings of 104 from 73 deliveries, laced with 16 fours.
Tammy Beaumont 78
After a slow start England lost their way against the spin of King, who took 1-20 from her ten-overs. She extracted an incredible 4.7 degrees of turn and England were passive, unable to rotate the strike against her.
Beaumont benefited from the pressure put on by Australia, who were seeking to extend their unbeaten run against England. She hit a four off the first ball of the third over and went on to thump three more boundaries in her innings.
After openers Amy Jones and Beaumont shared an opening stand of 76, the middle order came to a halt against the spin of Australia. Heather Knight was bowled for 20 by Sophie Molineux, while Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley were both trapped lbw by Alana King, who also removed Emma Lamb with the second new ball.
But Beaumont found much-needed form and dominated the final 10 overs of England’s innings, adding 76 with Alice Capsey and Charlie Dean. It was a crucial contribution as they moved England from a precarious position of 288/3 to 291/9. They were still in trouble when the pair were parted in the 49th over, but Sophie Ecclestone’s boundary off the final ball gave them hope of a spirited fightback. It was Beaumont’s fourth successive century in ODI cricket, making her the joint leading run-scorer in this competition. She was rewarded for her efforts with an 18-month central contract ahead of the 2020 Women’s World Cup.
Alice Capsey 38
England’s batting troubles continued as Alice Capsey was horrendously run out for just a single. The 20-year-old, who has been dropped from the T20 and ODI squads ahead of the triple-format tour of South Africa, was playing her first game since the World Cup group-stage defeat by West Indies.
The left-hander had made a bright start and looked set to add to her score until she was caught at the back of the wicket by Deandra Dottin with the score on 142. Sophia Dunkley then dropped a chance to dismiss opener Qiana Joseph as the Windies took full advantage of a sloppy England all-round performance in Dubai.
Captain Heather Knight, who is playing with a tight calf injury, was also missed in the field as she limped out of her side’s innings after just seven balls. Capsey was rewarded for her strong WBBL season with Melbourne Renegades by making the ODI and Test squads, but her exclusion from the T20 side is likely to prove a line in the sand ahead of January’s Ashes series against Australia. Paige Scholfield has taken her place in the T20 squad, while Freya Kemp and Maia Bouchier have earned spots in both formats.
Charlie Dean 26
Charlie Dean’s run-out at the non-striker’s end – a mode of dismissal known as a Mankad after India bowler Vinoo Mankad – has triggered widespread debate about the spirit of cricket. It also prompted Cricket Australia to axe its “Southern Stars” nickname for the national women’s team, putting it in line with the nickname-free men’s side.
The fielding team can run out a batter who leaves his or her crease before the ball is released for the first time in the delivery, according to ICC rules. But the fact that Deepti Sharma stopped in her bowling stride and clipped Dean’s bails while she was still backing up – something that can only happen if the fielding team has been given a warning – raised questions about the decision.
Despite all the controversy, Deepti Sharma was adamant that the decision to run out Dean had been a plan worked out in advance. She told BBC Radio 5 live that she had noticed Dean leaving her crease early in the innings and was prepared to run her out after a certain number of times. ESPNcricinfo’s analysis of all the deliveries delivered to Dean shows that she left her crease early 72 times in the match before being run out on the 73rd occasion.
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