Ashleigh Gardner inspired Australia to an 89-run victory in the one-off Women’s Ashes Test, taking eight for 66 as England fell to 178 all out.
The Trent Bridge Test has been a tale of two spinners. England’s Sophie Ecclestone has rightly dominated headlines for her herculean efforts over the past five days, but it has ultimately been Australia’s Ash Gardner who has inspired her team and taken them to victory.
Four wickets in the first innings was followed up by eight in the second, to finish with match figures of 12 for 165, the second best in women’s Test history.
England entered today as underdogs, but with a level of hope that grew after Danni Wyatt, who was eventually out for 54, and Kate Cross got them off to a bright start, scoring 22 runs off the first four overs.
It was always going to be unlikely that England would chase down Australia’s 268 after last night’s top-order collapse, but as the runs ticked down and with five wickets still remaining, the home team dared to dream.
But Gardner had other ideas. And having taken the wickets of first-innings double-centurion Tammy Beaumont, as well as Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt late on day four, she then added Kate Cross and Amy Jones to her list of victims in an opening 40 minutes of play that further dragged the game Australia’s way.
It was Cross who departed first for 11, edging behind to captain Alyssa Healy who took a good catch. That wicket brought Jones to the crease, with Australia targeting England’s wicketkeeper and bringing all the fielders up to crowd her for room and keep her on zero.
It wasn’t until Jones’ 14th delivery that she found a boundary to get her off the mark. However, any suggestion that that had settled the nerves were short lived as the very next ball she was stumped after she charged and missed a Gardner delivery. Wicketkeeper Healy fumbled the ball at the first attempt but, much to everyone’s surprise, replays showed she had removed the bails in the nick of time before Jones made it home. In disbelief, Jones had to drag herself off and Gardner had a maiden five-wicket haul.
That wicket brought bowling hero Ecclestone to the crease, who whilst no slouch with the bat, is also no specialist. Ecclestone had already performed her fair share of miracles this Test, but now England needed one more.
She and Wyatt batted for ten overs together at a far more watchful rate. Wyatt was, realistically, England’s last hope, but even her natural attacking instincts were being reined in as Australia spread the field to cut off her boundaries and bowl exclusively to Ecclestone at the other end.
But just as England threatened to be getting their feet under the table and settle in for the long haul, it was all over, as their final three wickets all fell to Gardner in the space of three overs. First, Ecclestone was trapped LBW after Gardner, coming around the wicket, got one to pitch in line and straighten, before Lauren Filer was bowled and Wyatt went LBW going for a heroic heave.
IT'S ALL OVER! ❌
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 26, 2023
Australia need less than a session to win the women's Ashes Test! 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/DGHQCOmjtn
A fantastic performance from Gardner capped off a deserved win for Australia, who despite being challenged to the very end by a spirited England side, ultimately came out on top.
The win means that Australia go 4-0 up in the multi-format Ashes series, with three ODIs and three T20s remaining, all of which are worth two points each. With Australia the reigning champions, England now face a mountainous challenge to regain the urn, as they’ll have to win five of the six white-ball matches to topple an Australia side who have lost just eight of their previous 110 limited overs matches.
