Australia extended their perfect run in the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup Group Stage, defeating England by six wickets. The annual contest, which occurred Tuesday on the famous Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, is a classic rivalry bout. With this win, Australia has now achieved five victories in the ongoing tournament, solidifying its position as a formidable contender.
In addition, Alyssa Healy, a crucial cog in the Aussie wheel, was lost to a calf strain that was initially thought to be minor. With her out, Tahlia McGrath became the fulcrum of the team. Under her captaincy, the Australian side showcased resilience and skill, particularly through an outstanding partnership between Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner.
Sutherland and Gardner’s partnership yielded an impressive 209 runs, marking Australia’s highest fifth-wicket partnership in women’s One Day Internationals (ODIs). Gardner took control of the game with an aggressive unbeaten century, making 104 off 121 balls. On the other hand, Sutherland narrowly missed her century, finishing her innings not out on 98 runs.
This time, England batted first and put a defendable 244 runs on the board, losing nine wickets along the way. Tammy Beaumont was the star of the show, scoring 78 runs from 105 balls to set up an England platform. She then strung together a pivotal fifty-run stand with Amy Jones, helping to set England a formidable total of 233. England found it hard to create any consistent momentum up against a disciplined Australian bowling unit.
Alana King was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 1-20 from her ten overs. She took center stage when she got Nat Sciver-Brunt, one of the world’s most explosive batters, as the first wicket to fall in the tournament. Sutherland and Gardner were lethal with the ball, with both taking 2-22.
“She’s a special player, a big wicket. I was happy to see the back of her; we know how damaging she can be. She’s got us many times in the past before,” – Alana King
What we didn’t see was how well the Australian bowlers managed to curb England’s chances for runs throughout the entire innings. King’s counterstrategy was to keep it very, very simple, to say the least.
“I kept it really simple, kept the stumps in play as much as possible and tried to extract as much spin as I can,” – Alana King
As Australia chased down the target, McGrath couldn’t help but feel proud of her team’s performance. She especially praised the impressive work that Sutherland and Gardner have contributed.
“I’m very happy. The spinners did a fantastic job with the ball; we had a little bit of a shaky start with the bat, but then Bels and Ash were just world-class,” – Tahlia McGrath
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Australians in that match. After a rocky start, the team found their batting. With the steel and creative partnership of Sutherland and Gardner at the helm, they soon settled into a groove. This combined success builds upon Australia’s strong tournament history as they prepare for their next match.
