Annabel Sutherland with bat and ball and Ashleigh Gardner with an unbeaten century as Australia romped to a six-wicket win over England in the Women’s World Cup on Wednesday to top the points table.
Third-placed England suffered their first defeat in the tournament as the defending champions successfully chased down a target of 245 with 57 balls to spare with Gardner scoring 104 off 73 balls with 16 boundaries while Sutherland was unbeaten on 98 as the pair put together a partnership of 180.
Both England and Australia have already qualified for the semifinals along with South Africa, while India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka continue the fight for the last remaining spot.
“It was pretty fun, always good batting with Ash. She keeps the game moving, a pretty good seat up the other end,” said player of the match Sutherland, who also took three wickets after Australia put England to bat first.
England openers got 55 runs in the first eight overs with Tammy Beaumont scoring double digits in two of Kim Garth’s overs, but Sutherland’s (3-60) wicket-maiden in the ninth over sent back Amy Jones (18) and plugged the flow of runs.
England then only scored 36 runs in the next 10 overs, with Heather Knight (20) being trapped lbw by Sophie Molineux (2-52) on Indore’s spin-friendly track.
Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (7) fell to Alana King, resulting in a 12-over stretch where England’s only boundary was a midfield one that led to four byes.
King conceded only 20 runs in her 10 overs and Beaumont (78) was caught trying to hit Sutherland for a six.
England were reeling at 168-6 after 40 overs, before Charlie Dean (26) and Alice Capsey (38 off 32) tried to salvage the situation. The pair put on 61 in quick time in their seventh-wicket stand to help England reach 244-9.
Australia, meanwhile, got off to a poor start, with openers Phoebe Litchfield (1) and injury replacement for skipper Alyssa Healy Georgia Voll (6) sent back early, as Ellyse Perry’s leading edge flew straight back to bowler Linsey Smith, to leave them on the back foot at 24-3 in the sixth over.
Beth Mooney (20) though did help Sutherland steady the ship with a 44-run fourth-wicket partnership, before Gardner got going and the pair accelerated the scoring.
England, who had been in three of the last four World Cup finals, winning two, couldn’t create any pressure on the batters, as Gardner ended up with a 50 from 47 balls.
Steady on the other end, Sutherland hung around as Gardner needed just 22 more balls to bring up her third century in the format, before she smashed the winning runs with a lofted drive down long off.
England skipper Sciver-Brunt admitted her team did not have enough runs to defend the total.
“I don’t think we have played our best game yet so we will be ready if we do have to see (Australia) again,” she added.
Hosts India take on New Zealand on Thursday.