ENG W VS AUS W MATCH 23

It was just like a stroll in the park for Australia in the end. A tough, tough defeat for England and that leaves them with a lot to reflect on before the knockouts arrive. Next up in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 is one of the most crucial clashes of this tournament as India Women take on New Zealand Women in Navi Mumbai. Oh, boy! This is going to be a spicy one as these two teams are the top two contenders to fill in the fourth and final berth for the semifinals. That game will be played on 23rd October, Thursday, with the first ball scheduled to be bowled at 9.30 am GMT. But do tune in early for the pre-match buzz and analysis. Until then, we sign off. Take care, cheers.

The victorious stand-in skipper of Australia Women, Tahlia McGrath, expresses her delight after the convincing win, calling it a clinical performance from her team. Praises her spinners for doing a fantastic job with the ball, adding that despite a shaky start with the bat, both Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner were absolutely world-class. Notes with a smile that Annabel thoroughly deserved a hundred for the way she batted. Speaking on Alana King, McGrath highlights her impressive record against England and says she matches up really well against their lineup. Reflecting on their bowling, Tahlia admits that they missed their lengths early and were punished for it, but overall, she’s happy with how things turned out. When asked about Annabel Sutherland, McGrath doesn’t hold back her praise, calling her a gun and one of the hardest-working cricketers in the squad. Before signing off, she talks about the team’s mindset, saying it’s all about belief. On Alyssa Healy’s fitness, McGrath confirms it’s day-by-day progress, handled carefully by the physios, but assures that Healy is tracking nicely.

The captain of England Women, Nat Sciver-Brunt, reflects on the defeat. She says they did not have enough runs on the board. She admits that Alana King bowled really well in the middle overs and restricted them. She details that Australia made it very difficult to build a partnership. She praises Tammy for playing brilliantly. She adds that as the lights came on, the conditions changed slightly. She acknowledges that they bowled well in patches, but the partnership between Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland took the game away from them. Speaking about how to counter Alana King, she says they could have been clearer with their shot selection, suggesting that playing off the back foot and using the feet a bit more might have been more effective, something she says she’d be reflecting on personally. Nat is full of praise for Tammy Beaumont, commending her focus and resilience. She notes that Tammy has been working incredibly hard in the nets, and it was pleasing to see that effort rewarded with a solid knock this time around. Sciver-Brunt admits that her bowlers struggled to maintain consistency while defending the total. While she highlights that they built pressure in phases, she feels that loose deliveries and overcomplication let the opposition off the hook. Looking ahead, Nat stresses the importance of taking the positives and the learnings from the match. She admires Australia’s strength and says that against a top side like them, the team needs to be sharp right through the game.

Australia's Annabel Sutherland is adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her impressive match-winning all-around performance. She says that it was a lot of fun out there and she thoroughly enjoyed batting alongside Ashleigh Gardner, who always keeps the game flowing. She smiles, saying she had the best seat in the house watching Gardner play her shots. Reflecting on her own innings, she mentions that she just wanted to spend time in the middle, and once she got in, the wicket felt really nice to bat on. She knows when she gets in, she can cash in, and it’s all about trusting her game, she adds confidently.  Talking about the game situation, Annabel admits that they were aware it would be tough to defend on such a fast outfield, so they tried to keep the momentum going. Credits the bowlers, especially the spinners led by Alana King, for doing a fantastic job and maintaining control when it mattered most.

... THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY ...

Earlier in the game, England Women were put in to bat, and for a while, it looked like they were setting up something special. Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones gave them the perfect launch in the Powerplay, but the story flipped the moment Australia’s spinners entered the scene. What followed was a slow suffocation as runs dried up, pressure piled on, and wickets began to tumble in a steady procession. With Knight and Sciver-Brunt falling cheaply, the already vulnerable middle order was left exposed, and Beaumont’s fine knock couldn’t stretch much further. If not for Alice Capsey’s spark and Charlie Dean’s late fightback with a 61-run partnership in the backend, England’s total would have looked far worse. For Australia, the spin trio of King, Molineux, and Gardner spun a tidy web, sharing five wickets between them, while Annabel Sutherland stood tall as the standout performer with an impressive three-for.

Another clear difference between the two sides was how they handled spin. The ball skidded, sometimes gripped off the pitch, and England’s batters caved under the pressure, retreating into a defensive shell against the Australian spin trio led by Alana King. Five wickets fell in that phase. Australia, by contrast, lost just one between overs 11 and 30. Even under pressure, the Aussies used their feet intelligently, never letting the spinners settle. Their batting wasn’t one-dimensional, as they attacked every corner of the ground with composure, no panic, no shortcuts. Once the target dropped below three figures, the chase became all but a formality, and the only race was about who would reach her hundred first. Gardner did first, but Sutherland fell short of a couple of runs, but that barely mattered. England’s bowlers were left deflated, unable to respond to Australia’s relentless fightback.

The difference in the game boiled down to that middle phase. England managed just 69 runs between overs 11 and 30, while Australia, despite being four down, put together 109 runs. The Gardner-Sutherland alliance thrived on the theme of smart strike rotation, turning ones into twos, and sneaking in the occasional boundary. That steady approach, combined with a manageable asking rate, was exactly what Australia needed. England simply couldn't produce a quiet phase and were a bit too inconsistent with their lines and lengths.

Australia usually leans on strong starts from the likes of Litchfield and Healy, but this time the top order struggled. Mooney and Sutherland tried to steady the innings with a 44-run stand, but Mooney’s dismissal forced another rebuilding phase, putting real pressure on the middle order and batting depth. Like Australia’s spinners earlier, England’s spin duo of Ecclestone and Dean tried to clamp down and put on a complete choke, but Gardner and Sutherland held their nerve, taking control back through the middle overs, and what followed was a picture-perfect display of how to construct a run chase.

Chasing 245 wasn’t as simple for Australia as it might have seemed, looking at their initial struggles. With Alyssa Healy missing out due to a calf strain, the top order faced a serious test from England’s bowlers. Georgia Voll struggled to fill Healy’s shoes, while Perry and Litchfield couldn’t make much of an impact either. England got exactly the start they wanted with Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell keeping up relentless pressure. The skidding deliveries kept the Australian batters on edge, leaving them at 46/3 at the end of ten overs, their second-lowest Powerplay score in this World Cup.

There is a reason why Australia Women are seven-time world champions. The message has been sent loud and clear once again, and any doubts about their dominance have been thoroughly erased. No Healy, no problem. Early fall of wickets, no issues. Australia have delivered another chasing masterclass, this time in Indore, despite having their backs against the wall initially. They remain the only unbeaten team in this World Cup and continue to assert their dominance over their arch-rivals. This marks their 14th win against England in ODI World Cups. Is there any way to stop this Australian juggernaut? The answer is - negative - in bold and capital.

FOUR! DONE AND DUSTED! Short and outside off, Ashleigh Gardner goes back and punches it through covers for a boundary to seal the deal. Annabel Sutherland remains unbeaten on 98. Australia Women have defeated England Women by six wickets with 57 balls to spare.

Full and around off, Annabel Sutherland uses her feet and knocks it down to long on. She takes a single and gives the strike back to Ashleigh Gardner.

DROPPED! Full and outside off, Annabel Sutherland clears her front leg and tries to go for a big lofted shot downtown but ends up slicing it off the outer half of the bat towards extra cover. Heather Knight backtracks and runs over her left shoulder before extending both her arms to take it but fails to hold onto it and spills out. Two runs taken.

Back of a length and around off, Ashleigh Gardner goes back and taps it down to short third. Australia Women just need 4 runs now and Annabel Sutherland also needs 4 runs for her hundred.

On a length and around off, Gardner taps it down to cover off the front foot.

A low full toss, around off, Gardner defends it into the deck.