Australia Women vs England Women, 23rd Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Australia continue to remain the team to beat in this competition. Tonight was another reminder. They often find ways to get the job done. Someone or the other puts their hands up. It was the turn of Sutherland tonight. In the larger context of things, today's game didn't mean much to both sides as they have qualified already but still Australia showed why they are so good. On that note we sign off from here. Do join us tomorrow for the big clash between India and New Zealand. Till then it's bye bye from all of us here.

Tahlia McGrath | Australia stand-in captain: Yeah, very happy. Spinners did a fantastic job with the ball. A little bit of a shaky start with the bat, but then Bells and Ash just woke up. So good to watch them. It was clinical and super Bells, but not getting a hundred. She thoroughly deserved it. (on King) Yeah, I knew she was our key matchup. She's got a really good record against England and matches up really well to pretty much their whole batting lineup. So at one stage I was tossing up whether it was 10 straight because she was on fire and we decided to pull her back for some new batters, but she was so good today. Hit her length, relentless, and then found a bit of turn. Yeah, I think we just missed our lengths a little bit early and got punished. So certainly a little bit tied out with the new ball. And then if we're being critical as well, I think that probably got too many at the end. We could have been a bit tidier at the death, but if you told me 244 at the start of the day, I would have been stoked. (on Sutherland) She is such a gun and I think it's scary how young she still is. She's one of our hardest trainers. Her planning is meticulous and whenever we're in trouble, you sort of just turn to Bells. She's that good. Certainly lots to improve on from this game. We'll review it as any, but for us, it's that belief from any position that we can win. So fine-tune a few areas and still keeping that belief and that momentum going. (on Healy's status) Bit of a day by day. I'll leave that in the hands of the physio. I think she's tracking nicely, but a bit of a day by day progress.

Nat Sciver-Brunt | England captain: We didn't have enough runs and Alana King bowled really well in the middle overs and restricted us. Made it difficult for us. With the lights coming on, the conditions changed. The partnership just took the game away from us. I don't know really. I'm really bad with numbers. I would have been happy with 280. (on playing King) I guess being really clear on what shots that you did want to play. So probably playing off the back foot would be more useful. So then working out how to get as full the length that you want to play off the back foot. So either using your feet or little paddles or something like that. That would be something that I would be reflecting on myself. (on Beaumont) Absolutely. She's been battling really hard in the nets to put on a performance like that. And she was really focused today and really pleased with her that she managed to get a score. Yeah, we just couldn't control with the ball. I thought we had patches of, I suppose, building pressure. We've got some ones, but the four ball kept coming. We probably tried a few too many things, to be honest. Probably keeping it simple was probably the way to go. Yeah, absolutely. I think we'll see a review very carefully on this game and make sure that we do take the positives from it and the learnings as well. But yeah, coming up against a quality side, you have to be really good for the whole game. (if they believe they can beat Australia?) Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I think we'll see. We weren't at our best today, but I don't think we've played our best game yet. So yeah, we'll be ready for them if we do see them again.

Annabel Sutherland | Player of the Match: Pretty fun. Always good batting with Ash. She keeps the game moving. Had a pretty good seat at the other end. Oh, to be honest, just trying to have some time in the middle. I feel like once you got in, it was actually really nice wicket to bat on. Fast outfield and you get value for runs.So, yeah, trying to get myself in and stay busy with my partner up the other end. I know when I'll get in, I know when I'll get in I'll cash in and just trying to trust my game, to be honest (was she confident despite lack of runs?). Tinkering with a few things mentally and trying to give myself the best chance early on in my innings. We knew the game was going to keep moving, such a hard ground to defend on. Just had to keep batting really. Still thought I was little bit in the wicket when I hit the right length. And yeah it was nice to get rewarded. I think the spinners did a fantastic job, particularly Alana King through the middle. Really stole their momentum and yeah, picked up wickets throughout. Yeah, I did a bit of just trusting instincts. And yeah, I feel like I've got the skills to kind of go with any batter that I need and change the tempo where I need to. But I think you've got to kind of hit your stock ball and feel like that's been working for me. Yeah I was happy for Ash to get it done.

-- The 180* run partnership between Gardner and Sutherland is the second-highest for the 5th wicket or below in ODIs, behind the 188* runs fifth wicket stand between England’s Jane Smit and Claire Taylor against Sri Lanka at Lincoln in the 2000 World Cup.

-- This is the highest target successfully chased against England Women in World Cups. The previous highest: 239 runs chased by Sri Lanka at Brabourne in 2013.

21:26 Local Time, 15:56 GMT, 21:26 IST: Take a bow Australia. They looked in all sorts of trouble at 68/4 with Beth Mooney gone. Then England had their tails up and were the favorites. But it all changed with this Gardner and Sutherland partnership. And what a stand it was. Counter-attacking batting at its finest. One of the very best partnerships in World Cup history. Sutherland didn't have many runs before tonight but come the big night she came clutch. She was outscoring Gardner and looked set for her 100 till a late charge from the offie saw her overtake Sutherland. They tried to manipulate 100s for each other but Sutherland just told Gardner to finish it off and not worry about her 100. England were shell-shocked and had no answers to this brilliant 180-run stand which came off just 148 balls. Once again Australia found themselves in trouble as their top and middle-order were rocked by Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell who bowled a peach to get Litchfield out. But England were just smashed flat by this rampaging partnership which saw Australia win with almost 10 overs to spare. Stay tuned for the post-match stuff...

Most 100s from No.6 or below in WODIs
3 - Ash Gardner (AUS-W)
1 - Shemaine Campbelle (WI-W)
1 - Annerie Dercksen (SA-W)

Sutherland and Gardner have a chat. The field's in. Looks like Sutherland is telling Gardner to finish it off.

Clearly Gardner and Sutherland had a chat after the former's 100. And that's why Gardner played those dots.

-- This is Australia women's highest stand for the 5th wicket or lower in ODIs, beating Joanne Broadbent & Bronwyn Calver’s 151* against Ireland at Dublin in 1998.

Fastest hundred in Women's ODI World Cup (by balls)
69 - Ash Gardner vs ENG-W, Indore, 2025*
71 - Deandra Dottin vs PAK-W, Leicester, 2017
73 - Alyssa Healy vs BAN-W, Vizag, 2025
76 - Nat Sciver-Brunt vs PAK-W, Leicester, 2017
77 - Ash Gardner vs NZ-W, Indore, 2025