INDORE: Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland played with the bat as unbeaten Australia recorded a convincing six-wicket win over Ashes rivals England in the Women’s World Cup on Wednesday.
Holders Australia played without skipper Alyssa Healy, who missed due to a calf injury, and restricted England to 244-9 with Sutherland taking three wickets in Indore.
Sutherland then hit 98 and set up an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 180 with Gardner (104) to lift Australia from a precarious 68-4 and carry them to victory in 40.3 overs.
Gardner achieved her second ton of the tournament and quickly celebrated in style by hitting the winning boundary to condemn England to their first defeat in this edition of the World Cup.
Seven-time winners Australia, England and South Africa have already qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s 50-over tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will battle it out for the only remaining spot in the semi-finals.
For Australia it was their fifth win in six matches, losing one match and leaving them top of the table with 11 points.
England’s bowlers defended 245 and put Australia on the back foot when Linsey Smith dismissed Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry in quick succession after Lauren Bell had bowled Phoebe Litchfield with the third ball of the innings.
Sophie Ecclestone then struck to remove the dangerous Beth Mooney and give England, who lost 16-0 to Australia in the Ashes earlier this year, real hope of a statement victory.
Sutherland and Gardner then dug in to get the chase back on track and, once set, took on the England bowling with normal boundaries.
Earlier, England got off to a flying start with Tammy Beaumont making 78 and leading the batting with a series of boundaries, including a hat-trick of four off Kim Garth in the eighth over.
But all-rounder Sutherland came into the attack and struck in the next over when she bowled wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones for 18 to end a lively opening stand of 55.
Beaumont kept up the momentum with Heather Knight but Sophie Molineux broke through with her left-arm spin to send Knight back lbw for 20.
Beaumont boosted her fifty with a boundary off Garth but soon England lost their way as skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt fell to Alana King’s leg spin and Sutherland brought down Beaumont.
Alice Capsey and Charlie Dean (26) counter-attacked in their seventh wicket partnership of 61.
Molineux then dismissed Capsey for 38 and two balls later Gardner had Dean out as England settled for a sub-par total at a venue that has produced big runs and an Australia-high 326 in this tournament.
