Australia asserted their dominance over England and notched up a comprehensive six-wicket win to continue their unbeaten run in the Women's World Cup 2025, largely thanks to all-round heroics from Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner.
Australia's unbeaten run in Women's World Cup 2025 continues, thrash England by 6 wickets
After opting to bowl first, the Australian bowlers, led by pacer Annabel Sutherland (3/60) and the spin trio of Alana King (1/20), Sophie Molineux (2/52), and Ashleigh Gardner (2/39), successfully restricted England to a modest total of 244 for nine, despite a patient innings of 79 off 108 balls from Tammy Beaumont.
However, the run chase began shakily for Australia. They found themselves in early trouble at just 24 for three inside six overs, as England's new-ball pair of Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell bowled with excellent control to dismiss the top order cheaply. This brought the all-rounders to the crease, who delivered a spectacular rescue effort.
Annabel Sutherland burns bright with 3-fer and unbeaten 98
Annabel Sutherland capped off her fine day by anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 98 not out. She guided the chase alongside Ashleigh Gardner, who provided the perfect foil with her fluent strokeplay, powering her way to a brilliant 104 not out. The pair shared a match-winning, unbroken 180-run partnership to take Australia home. With this victory, Australia maintained their unbeaten record in the tournament and successfully reclaimed the top spot on the points table.
Ashleigh Gardner cracks scintillating ton
Once again, Australia's renowned batting depth proved to be the key difference between the two sides. After the early loss of three wickets, Beth Mooney (20) entered the fray to stabilise the innings, building a crucial 44-run partnership with Sutherland.
Following Mooney's dismissal, Ashleigh Gardner joined Sutherland at the crease. The two all-rounders took complete control of the match, hitting boundaries at will and accelerating the scoring rate to make short work of the remaining target. Their dominant partnership allowed Australia to cruise past the finish line with 57 balls to spare.
Earlier, batting first England got off to a strong start, with Tammy Beaumont and an aggressive Amy Jones (18) forging a solid 55-run opening stand. Beaumont continued her good form to register her first half-century of the tournament. However, the partnership was eventually broken by a brilliant delivery from Annabel Sutherland, a moment that triggered another familiar collapse for the English side. Although lower-order resistance from Alice Capsey (38) and Charlie Dean (26) helped add some late runs, England's middle order struggled significantly against Australia's tight bowling attack. Spinners Alana King and Sophie Molineux exerted consistent pressure. King, in particular, demonstrated her skill as one of the world's most effective wrist-spinners, playing a crucial role in dismantling the bulk of England's innings and restricting their total. Looking ahead, Australia will play their final league stage fixture against South Africa on October 25. Meanwhile, England will aim to bounce back when they take on New Zealand on October 26.