Women's Ashes 2023: Australian star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner ripped England's batting order apart as the Aussies registered an emphatic 89-run win over the English women's side. Defending a total of 268 against Heather Knight's England, Alyssa Healy-led Australia wrapped the hosts at 178 as Gardner picked 8 wickets in the second innings. Australia also grab four crucial points in the Women's multi-format Ashes series.
Gardner has now equalled the record of picking the most wickets in an innings in a Test match. She has levelled the feat along with India's Neetu David, who picked 8 wickets against England women in 1995. Notably, this is the second-best figures in a Test innings as Neetu holds the edge over Gardner in this tally. The Indian picked 8 wickets for 53 runs, whereas the Aussie has picked 8 after giving 63 runs.
Moreover, the 26-year-old now has the best figures by an Australian in an inning and also in a Test match. She is the first from her country to pick 8 wickets in an innings.
Gardner's record in a Test match
Along with scalping 8 wickets in the innings, Gardner also took four more wickets in the first innings when England scored 463 in the first innings. In the chart of most wickets taken by a women cricketer in a Test match, Gardner is in second with 12 scalps. She is behind Shazia Khan of Pakistan, who has 13 wickets in a Test against West Indies women.
Aussies trump England
In the one-off Test, Australia have been the superior side. Powered by Ellyse Perry and Sutherland, Australia scored 473 in the first innings. In reply, England were steered well by double centurion Beaumont, who became the eighth woman in history to score a double ton. But Tahlia McGrath and Gardner helped Australia take a slender ten-run lead.
In the second innings, Beth Mooney's 80 and Healy's 50 put a target of 268 in front of the hosts. Despite a fifty from Danielle Wyatt, no other English batter managed to get over fifty. With this win, Australia have taken four points in the series. The Test match carried four points and each ODI and T20I game carries two points.
