Match of The Day
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Ashleigh Gardner Stars as Australia Women Crush New Zealand Women by 89 Runs

Australia Women posted a commanding 326 in 49.3 overs, led by Ashleigh Gardner’s 115 off 83 balls. Despite Sophie Devine’s 111 for New Zealand, the visitors were restricted to 237 in 43.2 overs. Amelia Kerr scored 33, and Brooke Halliday made 28. Australia won by 89 runs, with Gardner named Player of the Match.

Gardner powers Australia to a big win over New Zealand.
Image: Gardner powers Australia to a big win over New Zealand / © ESPNcricinfo

Being the second match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, this clash between Australia Women and New Zealand Women took place at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on October 1, 2025. It was a day-night game where Australia chose to bat first after winning the toss. Their innings turned out to be a strong display of batting depth and resilience, ending with a total of 326 runs in 49.3 overs.

Australia Women’s Innings

The innings started steadily with openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield. Healy, the captain and wicketkeeper, looked aggressive from the beginning. She scored 19 runs off 17 balls, including three boundaries, before getting caught by Suzie Bates off Bree Illing in the fifth over. At that point, Australia was at 40 for 1. Litchfield joined her in a quick partnership, smashing 45 runs off 31 balls with six fours and two sixes. Her knock was explosive, but she was bowled by Amelia Kerr in the 10th over, leaving the score at 81 for 2. Ellyse Perry came in next and played a solid innings of 33 runs off 41 balls, hitting five fours.

She helped stabilize things but was caught by Bates off Lea Tahuhu in the 17th over, with the total at 108 for 3. Beth Mooney followed, scoring 12 runs off 21 balls with one four, but she too fell to Tahuhu, caught by Amelia Kerr in the 21st over at 128 for 5. Annabel Sutherland had a brief stay, making 5 runs off 8 balls with one four, before being caught by Bates off Amelia Kerr in the 19th over at 113 for 4. This middle-order wobble put Australia in a spot of bother early on, but Ashleigh Gardner stepped up magnificently. She anchored the innings with a brilliant 115 runs off 83 balls, featuring 16 fours and one six. Her strike rate of 138.55 was crucial in rebuilding and pushing the score forward.

Gardner formed key partnerships, notably with Tahlia McGrath, who scored 26 runs off 34 balls with three fours. They added 64 runs for the sixth wicket before McGrath was caught by Amelia Kerr off Tahuhu in the 32nd over at 192 for 6. Sophie Molineux then contributed 14 runs off 19 balls, including one four and one six, partnering with Gardner for 47 runs until she was caught by Sophie Devine off Jess Kerr in the 38th over at 239 for 7. Kim Garth played a vital supporting role towards the end, scoring 38 runs off 37 balls with five fours. She and Gardner put on 69 runs for the eighth wicket, taking the score to 308 before Gardner was caught by Isabella Gaze off Illing in the 46th over.

Alana King added a quick 4 runs off 7 balls but was caught by Bates off Jess Kerr in the 49th over at 325 for 9. Darcie Brown remained not out on 1 run off 1 ball, and Garth was the last to go, caught by Georgia Plimmer off Jess Kerr in the final over at 326 for 10. The extras contributed 14 runs, with 2 leg byes, 2 no-balls, and 10 wides. Australia’s run rate was 6.58 per over, showing a good acceleration after the powerplay.

On the bowling side for New Zealand, Bree Illing took 2 wickets for 75 runs in 9 overs, while Jess Kerr was the pick with 3 for 59 in 8.3 overs. Lea Tahuhu also claimed 3 for 42 in 8 overs, and Amelia Kerr got 2 for 54 in 10 overs. Sophie Devine bowled 8 overs for 55 without a wicket, and Eden Carson gave away 39 in 6 overs. The bowlers maintained discipline in patches, with 21 dot balls from Illing and 35 from Amelia Kerr, but they struggled against Gardner’s aggression.

The powerplay saw Australia score 36 runs for 2 wickets in the first 10 overs, setting a foundation despite early losses. Drinks breaks came at 62 for 2 in 16 overs and 146 for 4 in 32 overs, reflecting the ups and downs. Gardner’s century was the highlight, earning her the Player of the Match award. She reached her fifty in style and pushed on to 115, helping Australia cross 300. The fielding was sharp from New Zealand, with Bates taking four catches, but they couldn’t prevent the late surge.

New Zealand Women’s Innings

New Zealand Women’s chase of 327 runs started on a shaky note and, despite a valiant effort from their captain Sophie Devine, ended at 237 in 43.2 overs, resulting in an 89-run defeat. The innings was marked by early collapses, a fighting century from Devine, and some late resistance, but Australia’s bowlers kept the pressure on throughout. Openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer struggled right away.

Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for a duck off 9 balls in the second over, with the score at 0 for 2. Plimmer was run out without facing a ball in the first over at 0 for 1, thanks to a direct hit from Annabel Sutherland and Alyssa Healy. Amelia Kerr came in at number three and scored 33 runs off 56 balls with five fours, providing some stability. She and Devine added 75 runs for the third wicket before Kerr was caught by Phoebe Litchfield off Alana King in the 19th over at 75 for 3.

Devine was the star for New Zealand, smashing 111 runs off 112 balls with 12 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 99.10. She reached her fifty off 69 balls and her hundred off 107 balls, showing great composure. Brooke Halliday supported her with 28 runs off 38 balls, including two fours and one six. They put on 52 runs for the fourth wicket until Halliday was caught by Litchfield off King in the 30th over at 127 for 4. Maddy Green then scored 20 runs off 18 balls with three fours, adding 37 runs with Devine before being run out by Darcie Brown and Healy in the 35th over at 164 for 5.

Isabella Gaze played an aggressive knock of 28 runs off 18 balls with six fours. She and Devine added 54 runs for the sixth wicket in quick time, reaching 218 for 6 when Gaze was caught by Sutherland off Molineux in the 40th over. Jess Kerr managed just 2 runs off 3 balls before being bowled by Sutherland in the 42nd over at 236 for 8. Lea Tahuhu remained not out on 1 run off 2 balls. Eden Carson was out for a duck off 1 ball, lbw to Sutherland in the 42nd over at 236 for 9. Bree Illing also scored a duck off 3 balls, caught by Healy off Molineux in the final over at 237 for 10.

Extras added 14 runs, with 10 leg byes and 4 wides. New Zealand’s run rate was 5.46 per over, but they couldn’t keep up with the required rate after early wickets. The powerplay yielded only 36 runs for 2 wickets, mirroring Australia’s start but with more damage. Australia’s bowling was led by Sophie Molineux, who took 3 wickets for 25 runs in 8.2 overs, including 32 dot balls. Annabel Sutherland also claimed 3 for 26 in 9 overs with 38 dots. Alana King got 2 for 44 in 8 overs, while Kim Garth bowled economically with 0 for 34 in 8 overs and 26 dots. Darcie Brown was expensive at 0 for 51 in 4 overs, and Ashleigh Gardner gave away 47 in 6 overs without a wicket.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

After the Australian women’s cricket team posted a formidable 326 runs in 49.3 overs, their innings was rocked early by New Zealand’s bowlers, creating TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game. Alyssa Healy, the captain, started aggressively, scoring 19 off 17 balls before being caught off Bree Illing in the fifth over. Phoebe Litchfield dazzled with 45 off 31, including six fours and two sixes, but fell to Amelia Kerr in the 10th over. Ellyse Perry’s steady 33 off 41 ended in the 17th over, caught off Lea Tahuhu.

Annabel Sutherland’s brief 5 off 8 and Beth Mooney’s 12 off 21 followed quickly, both dismissed by Kerr and Tahuhu, leaving Australia at 128/5 by the 21st over. This early collapse of five wickets put pressure on the middle order. However, Ashleigh Gardner’s brilliant 115 off 83, supported by Kim Garth’s 38 off 37, staged a remarkable recovery, pushing the total past 300. Tahuhu and Jess Kerr each claimed three wickets, while Illing and Amelia Kerr took two each, making the early breakthroughs a defining moment.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Annabel Sutherland shone brightly as the Hero of the Day in the match against New Zealand Women, delivering a stellar bowling performance that turned the game in her team’s favor. Bowling 9 overs, she claimed 3 crucial wickets for just 26 runs, maintaining an impressive economy rate of 2.88. Her disciplined spell included a maiden over and only 2 fours conceded, showcasing her ability to keep the batters in check.

Sutherland’s breakthroughs were pivotal, dismissing key players like Sophie Devine (111 runs), Jess Kerr, and Eden Carson, which triggered a late collapse in New Zealand’s innings. Her efforts helped restrict New Zealand to 237 in 43.2 overs, well short of the 327-run target and by breaking the backbone of the opposition’s batting lineup, Sutherland proved her worth as a game-changer. With only 2 wides and no extras like no-balls, her control was exceptional, cementing her status as a rising star in the bowling attack.

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