Gardner scored her maiden international century, Mooney and McGrath struck fifties to rescue Australia from 59 for 4
Ashleigh Gardner celebrates her maiden ODI century • Getty Images
Australia 308 for 8 (Gardner 102, McGrath 55, Mooney 50, Sciver-Brunt 2-51, Dean 2-53) vs England
Ashleigh Gardner‘s maiden international century, and a rapid fifty from Tahlia McGrath, led an immense Australia recovery in the third ODI in Hobart to give them an excellent chance of extending their Women’s Ashes lead to 6-0.
Gardner came to the crease with the home side wobbling on 59 for 4 and produced an expertly-paced innings, adding 95 with Beth Mooney and 103 from 83 deliveries with McGrath who raced to a 38-ball half-century, to power Australia to 308 for 8 – comfortably the highest women’s ODI total at the ground.
Gardner’s century came up from 100 balls after she had sped through the 90s with consecutive boundaries off Nat Sciver-Brunt. It was only the second ODI century ever to come from No. 6 or below.
McGrath’s role was also vital with Australia’s innings still in the balance at 154 for 5 when she joined Gardner. Her form has come under scrutiny in recent times, as she has shifted down the order to No. 7, so this was a timely performance from the vice-captain.
In all, 104 runs came off the final 10 overs, including 17 off the last as the recalled Georgia Wareham peppered the boundary, in a formidable display of Australia’s batting depth.
In a frenetic start to the game, England called on the DRS three times inside the first four overs, burning both reviews but getting the call right when Phoebe Litchfield gloved a pull down the leg side much to the frustration of the left hander who had made a positive start with three crisp boundaries.
England’s errors with the reviews came against Alyssa Healy in the opening when the ball glanced the hip and another against Ellyse Perry when she attempted to cut Lauren Filer – there was a noise on the latter, and Heather Knight signaled with a split-second remaining, but the ball was well away from the bat.
However, Perry fell not long after when she flicked a delivery off her pads straight to Filer at short fine leg with Lauren Bell’s muted celebration acknowledging it was more fortune than a plan.
Healy had not been able to go through the gears during the powerplay and fell shortly before the restrictions ended when she pulled Sciver-Brunt to deep midwicket. Australia’s situation became more precarious when Annabel Sutherland completed a lean one-day series as she drove to mid-off, a similar dismissal to the second game in Melbourne, leaving them 59 for 4 in the 15th over.
The mantra of the Australian side is never to take a backward step even when faced with difficulties, and Gardner responded by lofting Sophie Ecclestone straight down the ground for six. Mooney then took two boundaries in three deliveries off Charlie Dean.
Gardner brought up her half-century from 53 balls and Mooney from 63 deliveries, just her second in the last 11 innings dating back to last February. However, Mooney couldn’t convert when she tried to clear the off side against Dean and could only sky into the ring.
What was an opening for England was soon closed off by the skill and power of the Gardner-McGrath alliance in what were the best batting conditions of the series so far.
England were eventually able to remove the pair in quick succession – Gardner well caught by Tammy Beaumont at deep square leg and McGrath lbw pulling against Sciver-Brunt – but Wareham, who had replaced Darcie Brown in the XI, added a final flourish to take the total over 300 and leave the visitors with a huge task.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
