Key events
I’ll leave you with Raf Nicholson’s match report. Goodnight!
Tahlia McGrath’s verdict
Yeah, very happy. The spinners did a fantastic job with the ball, we had a bit of a shaky start with the bat but then Bels and Ash were just world-class. It was clinical. I feel for Bels a bit, not getting a hundred – she thoroughly deserved it.
[On Alana King] I knew she was our key match-up; she’s got a really good record against England and matches up well against pretty much their whole batting line-up. I was debating bowling her overs straight through because she was on fire but decided to hold her back for some new batters. She was so good.
We missed our lengths a bit with the new ball so there’s a bit to tidy up there. And if we’re being critical they probably got 20 too many at the end. But if you told me 244 at the start of the game I’d have been stoked.
[On Annabel Sutherland] She’s such a gun. It’s scary how young she still is – she’s one of her hardest trainers, her planning’s meticulous. Whenever you’re in trouble you sort of just turn to Bels. She’s that good.
There’s still lots to improve and finetune. But we have the belief that we can win from any position.
[On Alyssa Healy’s fitness] She’s tracking nicely but it’s day by day. I’ll leave that to the physios.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s reaction
We didn’t have enough runs. Alana King bowled really well to restrict us and it was very difficult to get a partnership together.
I think the conditions did change a bit when the lights came on. We bowled well in patches but the partnership between Ash and Belsy took the game away for us.
[What would have been a good score?] I think I’d have been happy with 280.
[What could you have done better against Alana King?] I guess being really clearer on what shots you want to play and then trying to get her to bowl the length you want. That’s something I’ll be reflecting on myself.
[On Tammy Beaumont] She’s been battling really hard in the nets to put on a performance like that. She was really focussed today and I’m really pleased for her that she managed to get a score.
[On the partnership between Sutherland and Gardner] We just couldn’t control them with the ball. We had patches of building pressure but the fourball kept coming. We probably tried a few too many things; maybe keeping it simple was the way to go.
We’ll review this game very carefully. Against a quality side you have to be really good for the whole game; we weren’t as good as Australia today. I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet. We’ll be ready for Australia if we meet them again.
The player of the match is Annabel Sutherland
It was pretty fun out there. It’s always good batting with Ash, she keeps the game moving. It’s such a hard ground to defend on.
Once you got in, it was a nice wicket to bat on with a fast outfield. I just wanted to spend some time in the middle. I know when I get in, I’ll cash in, so I’ve been tinkering with a few things mentally to give myself the best chance.
Our spinners did a fantastic job, particularly Alana King, and stalled their momentum.
[On her bowling] It’s a little bit about trusting your instincts. I feel like I’ve got the skilols to change the tempo where I need to. But I feel like hitting my stock ball has been working for me.
[On not making a century] I was happy for Ash to get it done!
Australia are awesome. This is hardly breaking news, but the ease with which Sutherland and Gardner took care of business was quite something.
After 20 overs, Australia were 78 for 4 and in a bit of bother. So they scored 170 for 0 off the next 20.3 overs, because why wouldn’t you.
Australia win by six wickets with 57 balls to spare
40.3 overs: Australia 248-4 (Sutherland 98, Gardner 104) Sutherland tries to win the game with a six off Ecclestone, slices the ball high in the air and is dropped by Knight! It was a really tough chance running back from cover.
Sutherland gets two runs instead, then takes a single down the ground to bring the scores level. After a quick chat between the two, Gardner hammers the winning boundary over mid-off. Sutherland isn’t worried about making a century: three wickets and a fabulous 98 not out will do nicely.
A stunning hundred from Ash Gardner!
40th over: Australia 241-4 (Sutherland 95, Gardner 100) Sutherland and Gardner should both be able to reach their centuries before the game is over. They certainly deserve to after a partnership of the highest class.
Gardner is first to three figures, edging Bell for four to bring the entire Australia dugout to their feet. It’s her second hundred of the World Cup, both on this ground – this one took only 70 balls.
She pointedly defends the rest of the over, including a low full toss, so that Sutherland is on strike at the start of the next over. Australia need four to win, Sutherland needs five for her hundred.
39th over: Australia 234-4 (Sutherland 92, Gardner 96) I spoke too soon, way too soon. Gardner hits 10 from Ecclestone’s first three balls to move level with Sutherland, including a cracking drive over extra cover.
After the pair trade singles, Gardenr edges another boundary to move to 96. Bloody hell she’s only faced 68 balls! That means she’s hit 91 from her last 53 deliveries.
38th over: Australia 218-4 (Sutherland 91, Gardner 81) Gardner mishits a slower ball from Bell high in the air, yet even that bisects the two England fielders running towards long off.
It looks like Sutherland is winning the century race. She lashes Bell superbly through the covers for four to move into the nineties – and bring up the 150 partnership from 136 balls. It’s been awesome.
37th over: Australia 209-4 (Sutherland 85, Gardner 79) This will be Australia’s 14th straight win at the 50-over World Cup. I’ll level with you: I think they might go on to win it!
36th over: Australia 205-4 (Sutherland 83, Gardner 77) Gardner, who started the World Cup with a spectacular 115 from 83 balls against New Zealand on this ground, looks like she fancies another. She hammers three consecutive fours off Capsey to move closer to that milestone.
Gardner needs 23 for her hundred, Sutherland needs 17 and Australia need 40 to win. Simple, right?
35th over: Australia 190-4 (Sutherland 82, Gardner 63) Linsey Smith returns in the hope of pinching another wicket. Good luck with that – Australia are in complete control of this runchase.
Drinks: Australia need 59 from 96 balls to win
34th over: Australia 186-4 (Sutherland 80, Gardner 61) Sutherland and Gardner have played England’s five main bowlers with aplomb, so it’s time for Alice Capsey to have a go. A quiet first over is milked for three singles, and that’s drinks.
Ash Gardner reaces to fifty!
33rd over: Australia 183-4 (Sutherland 78, Gardner 60) Gardner pulls a slower ball from Sciver-Brunt for four to reach a brilliant fifty from only 47 balls. It’s the first of three successive fours: another pull is followed by a majestic, hold-the-pose drive over mid-off.
Australia have scored* 105 from the last 13 overs are are romping to victory.
* I was going to say hit, but they’ve stroked most of the runs. It’s been a masterclass in risk management.
32nd over: Australia 169-4 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 47) Sutherland tries to cut Ecclestone, is beaten for pace and top-edges for four. Maybe England could have had a slip in but it’s easy to say from here.
Sutherland waves a single to bring up a marvellous century partnership from only 97 balls. She and Gardner have played with such composure and certainty.
31st over: Australia 163-4 (Sutherland 72, Gardner 46) Sciver-Brunt drifts onto leg stump and is lofted behind square for four by Sutherland, who may soon have a century to go with the 15 wickets she has taken in this World Cup.
The calmness with which Australia have extricated themselves from bother is pretty scary for everyone else in this tournament.
Between overs 21-30, England scored only 26 runs. Australia have hit 77. They’re just a bit too good.
30th over: Australia 155-4 (Sutherland 66, Gardner 44) Ecclestone puts her hands to her head after starting her second spell with a leg-stump full toss that Gardner clips easily for four.
One of the impressive things about Gardner is her ability to make scoring at a run a ball look almost straightforward. She has 44 not out from 42 balls tonight, and that’s after being 5 not out from 15.
28th over: Australia 148-4 (Sutherland 65, Gardner 38) Nat Sciver-Brunt brings herself back and almost strikes with a big off-cutter that Sutherland inside-edges onto the pad. Beautifully bowled but the LBW appeal was caught in the throat.
27th over: Australia 142-4 (Sutherland 61, Gardner 36) A grubber from Dean bounces between Sutherland’s legs and past leg stump. England needed that to be straighter because Sutherland was completely done by the uneven bounce.
Dean tries her luck around the wicket – and gets precisely none when Gardner edges a beauty for four. It zipped off the pitch to take a leading edge as Gardner tried to work the ball into the leg side. Jones had no chance to react and the ball ran away to the boundary.
After a superb recovery, Australia need 105 from 138 balls.
27th over: Australia 135-4 (Sutherland 60, Gardner 31) Sutherland walks down the track to thread Bell between mid-off and extra cover for four. That’s a gorgeous shot, perfectly placed, and for the first time England look a bit helpless in the field.
Gardner tightens Australia[’s grip on the game with a fierce back cut for four. She’s flying along: 5 from the first 15 deliveries, 26 from the last 17.
Fifty for Annabel Sutherland!
26th over: Australia 123-4 (Sutherland 54, Gardner 26) Sutherland chips Dean, who has changed ends, over extra cover for four to bring up a class, level-headed fifty, her first of the tournament.
Gardner squirts the last ball for two make it nine from the over. Runs are coming too easily for England’s liking.
25th over: Australia 114-4 (Sutherland 48, Gardner 23) There is a change of pace: Dean off, Bell back on. She starts with a wide but then keeps it tight to both right-handers. What England really need is a wicket; a few dot balls will do for now.
24th over: Australia 111-4 (Sutherland 47, Gardner 22) Having played straight throughout her innings, Sutherland sweeps Smith almost nonchalantly for six. This is an excellent spell for Australia, who have scored 33 from the last four overs. It might be time for a change of pace.
23rd over: Australia 100-4 (Sutherland 38, Gardner 20) Sutherland is using her feet a lot more now, particularly to Dean, and looks in the mood to anchor the innings. Gardner pulls a single to bring up Australia’s hundred.
22nd over: Australia 97-4 (Sutherland 37, Gardner 18) Smith replaces Ecclestone (6-0-26-1) and threatens a breakthrough when a lofted drive from Gardner lands just short of Dean at long off. The ball bounces past Dean and goes for four, with Gardner clipping the next delivery for three more. She’s starting to look dangerous.
21st over: Australia 88-4 (Sutherland 36, Gardner 10) Sutherland skips down to square-drive Dean for four, the first Australian boundary in 28 balls. They only have to wait three deliveries for the next, which comes when Dean strays onto Gardner’s pads and is dragged behind square. A good over for Australia, 10 from it.
20th over: Australia 78-4 (Sutherland 31, Gardner 5) Ecclestone continues in pursuit of that fifth wicket, which would put England decisively on top. Sutherland and Gardner treat everything with respect and manage just a single apiece.
Australia need 167 from 180 balls.
19th over: Australia 76-4 (Sutherland 30, Gardner 4) England are turning the screw, with only 24 runs coming from the last eight overs. The required rate is still a manageable 5.45, though, so Australia’s main priority right now is to avoid losing a fifth wicket.
18th over: Australia 73-4 (Sutherland 29, Gardner 2) Gardner crashes a drive off Ecclestone that is half stopped by Smith at extra cover, a good piece of fielding that saves a run. Every little helps.
Four singles from Ecclestone’s over. She hasn’t bowled that well by her standards but picked up Mooney’s wicket and has decent figures of 5-0-24-1.
