Australia secured a dominant 89-run victory over New Zealand in their Women`s World Cup opener, propelled by Ashleigh Gardner`s heroic century which ultimately overshadowed Sophie Devine`s equally impressive but ultimately futile hundred.
The Women`s World Cup clash between Australia and New Zealand in Indore featured two remarkable individual centuries. However, it was Ashleigh Gardner`s spectacular performance that ultimately decided the match, while Sophie Devine`s valiant effort proved insufficient as defending champions Australia commenced their campaign with an 89-run victory.
Gardner played a pivotal role in rescuing Australia from a precarious 128 for 5, guiding them to a formidable total of 326 with a blistering 115 runs off just 83 balls. This score demanded a record chase, surpassing the previous highest successful pursuit in women`s ODIs of 302. Sophie Devine was left with the daunting task of anchoring New Zealand`s innings after early wickets, but the escalating scoreboard pressure proved too much. She concluded with 111 runs, her ninth ODI century, yet New Zealand could only manage 237 runs in 43.2 overs.
Australia`s Batting Dominance and Mid-Innings Wobble
Earlier, Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield provided a solid start for Australia after they elected to bat. Litchfield showcased her footwork, frequently stepping out to play aggressive shots. Even after Healy`s departure in the fifth over, Litchfield continued to accumulate runs alongside Ellyse Perry, predominantly striking boundaries on the off-side.
Litchfield adeptly adjusted to the pace bowlers` lengths, finding gaps effectively and appearing poised for a significant score, having propelled Australia to 81 for 1 by the end of the powerplay. However, the entry of Amelia Kerr in the ninth over shifted the momentum. With her very first delivery, Kerr bowled a perfectly executed googly that pitched outside leg, turning sharply into the left-handed Litchfield, who misread the line and was bowled. This wicket also marked Kerr`s 100th in ODIs.
New Zealand then applied considerable pressure on Australia following Litchfield`s dismissal, conceding a mere 20 runs between the 11th and 17th overs. Kerr, in particular, made scoring runs challenging for the Australian batters, demonstrating excellent control and variation with her googlies and flighted deliveries. The experienced Lea Tahuhu initiated a mini-collapse, starting with Perry`s wicket in the 18th over. Annabel Sutherland followed soon after in the next over, caught at mid-on off Kerr. Australia then lost their third wicket within 24 balls as Beth Mooney was tamely dismissed for 12.
Gardner`s Game-Changing Century
Australia`s recovery was spearheaded by Ashleigh Gardner. She adopted an aggressive approach from the outset, getting off the mark with a powerful punch over extra cover. Gardner attacked both spinners and fast bowlers with equal ferocity, consistently finding boundaries through the covers and down the ground. She asserted her dominance by dancing down the pitch to hit Kerr for a six, bringing up her half-century in just 43 balls.
Gardner maintained her relentless pace even as wickets tumbled around her, racing to her century in a further 34 balls. She savored the cheers of the 8,900-strong crowd in Indore, witnessing its inaugural women`s ODI, as she celebrated her game-changing innings.
New Zealand`s Challenging Chase
New Zealand`s chase began disastrously, with Georgia Plimmer run out without facing a ball in the very first over due to a mix-up. Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, making her return to ODIs since December 2024 after an injury layoff, was entrusted with the new ball alongside Kim Garth, a move that quickly paid dividends. Molineux swiftly accounted for the experienced Suzie Bates, dismissing her for a duck in the second over and leaving New Zealand in disarray.
New Zealand stood at 24 for 2 after nine overs, but Amelia Kerr temporarily alleviated the pressure with a flurry of boundaries off Darcie Brown in the tenth over. However, with Sutherland and Alana King bowling in tandem, Kerr struggled for runs, while Devine occasionally managed to find the gaps. After reaching 28 off 30 balls, Kerr labored to 33 off 55 before being dismissed by King on the very next delivery.
The first six of New Zealand`s innings came when Devine stepped down the pitch to Gardner, sending the ball soaring over the sightscreen, and soon reached her half-century off 69 balls. Brooke Halliday followed with another six off King, accompanied by a boundary, but King ultimately had the final say, dismissing her for 28.
By this stage, the required run rate had soared to ten an over. As Australia`s spinners made New Zealand battle hard for runs, Devine capitalized on some wayward bowling from Brown in the 36th over, smashing four consecutive boundaries to push into the nineties. Brown had been brought into the XI in place of the experienced pacer Megan Schutt.
Despite New Zealand needing 107 runs from 54 balls and wickets continuing to fall around her, Devine remained composed. She hit a six over deep midwicket to bring up her century. However, a triple-wicket 43rd over by Annabel Sutherland, which saw the dismissals of Devine, Jess Kerr, and Eden Carson, extinguished New Zealand`s fading hopes. Molineux then wrapped up New Zealand`s innings in the subsequent over, concluding her impressive return with figures of 3 for 25.
