AUS-W vs NZ-W | Devine's lone-effort not enough as Gardner ton ensures winning start for Aussies

Today at 10:03 PM

Australia sealed a comfortable 89-run win at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday to get their World Cup campaign off to a flying start. Ashleigh Gardner's rapid ton took the defending champions from 128/5 to 326 before the White Ferns were bowled out for 237 despite a Sophie Devine century.

Ashleigh Gardner secured player of the match honours for Australia with her knock of 115 against New Zealand in the Women's World Cup opener in Indore

‌Opting to bat first, Alyssa Healy got Australia underway in style with a boundary in the first over before combining with opening partner Phoebe Litchfield for six more through the first four overs as the side raced to 38/0. The skipper looked for another off Bree Illing thereafter but only managed to find cover, handing New Zealand their first breakthrough of the afternoon. Nevertheless, Ellyse Perry ensured there was no downturn in momentum while Litchfield kept chugging along at the other end, with the score at the end of the pwoerplay reading a handsome 81/1. Sophie Devine responded by bringing Amelie Kerr into the attack as soon as the field spread and the leg-spinner struck immediately with a perfect googly to peg back Litchfield's off-stump, stranding her five short of a half-century. A sharp slowdown followed as Beth Mooney struggled to get away, and soon after drinks culminated in Perry skying a Lea Tahuhu delivery for a simple grab. Kerr added to the misery by cutting short Annabel Sutherland's stay the very next over, and Mooney followed suit after to suddenly left the Aussies reeling at 128/5 after 21.2 overs. The onus thus lay on two new batters Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath to rescue the team from hot waters, the latter letting her intentions know with a boundary off her third delivery. Gardner joined the act with a couple boundaries off Illing in the 25th over and before long the partnership had motored along to 50 at better than run-a-ball, with the score after 30 overs 185/5. Inevitably, Tahuhu and Kerr combined to halt the danger as the former scalped her third when McGrath flicked one straight to a fielder, departing for a well-made 26. Gardner took the signal to go all-out, smashing a six and a four in the following over to bring up a 43-ball fifty, only to see Sophie Molineux replicate her efforts immediately after. The latter did not last long though, falling to Jess Kerr with the death overs beckoning, but the 47-run stand had taken the Aussies to 252/7 with 10 overs remaining. Gardner remained unfettered as boundaries kept coming at a whim even as Kim Garth played accumulator at the other end, the former bringing up a 77-ball ton with her 13th four in the 46th before adding two more over the next five balls. Gardner eventually fell for 115 with a couple of overs remaining, while Garth was the last to be dismissed for 38 off 37 as Australia scraped together 326 runs in 49.3 overs.

In response, the White Ferns endured a horror start as the up-and-coming Georgia Plimmer was run-out in the very first over without even facing a delivery. Molineux made it a double whammy by sounding Suzie Bates the death rattle as the ferns found themselves 0/2 after two overs. Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine stabilized the innings with a 79-run stand spread across 20 overs but the need to stay with the required run rate saw the former eventually holing out off Alana King for 33. Brooke Halliday could not manage to bat at a better tempo either but identified the return of King into the attack in the 30th over as her opportunity to break the shackles. A sensational six and four followed but the wrist-spinner had the final laugh by ending the 52-run stand and leave the opposition reeling at 127/4. Another mix-up soon after cost Maddy Green her wicket, at which point Devine decided to go hell for leather. The skipper struck four consecutive fours off Gardner as a part of the effort before Isabella Gaze joined the blitzkrieg, the duo adding 54 runs in just 35 deliveries before the keeper-batter struck out. Nevertheless, Bates continued to make the bowlers sweat as she brought up her century off 107 balls but an Annabel Sutherland ball eventually snuck through, ending her 111-run resistance and New Zealand hopes with it. The quick added two more wickets the very same over, and before long the Kiwis were bowled out for 237 with plenty balls to spare.

Great inns!

Sophie Devine, take a bow 👏
— Sai (@Sai_2302)

What a Legend!

Sophie Devine 💥

When the chase got tough, the skipper stood tall!

A captain’s century 💯 against Australia 🇦🇺👏
— Rana Ahmed (@RanaAhmad056)

Brilliant knock!

What a knock Sophie Devine. Wickets falling all around her and the Skipper keeps her head
— Karen Madden (@karendmadden)

Great fight!

Devine Display of Determination!

Sophie Devine brings up her century with a SIX!

Another century in the match .
— AsliBCCIWomen (@AsliBCCIWomen)

Inspiration for many!

Sophie Devine coming in at 0/2 has fought her way to 💯, now it becomes very dangerous for the Aussies. I have seen Devine plunder bowlers in the last few overs for fun. Game on here!
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93)

Effort that she put! WOW!