Australia have continued their dominance over England and extended their unbeaten run in the ODI World Cup, romping to a six-wicket victory in Indore.
England had their moments in the clash of two of the tournament’s form sides at Holkar Stadium, at one stage reducing Australia to 4-68 in pursuit of a target of 245.
But an unbeaten 180-run fifth-wicket stand between Ashleigh Gardner (104no from 73) and Annabel Sutherland (98no from 112) saw Australia sail home in 40.3 overs.
Alana King (1-20) had earlier continued her excellent run at this tournament – and against England – with 10 overs of leg-spin magic.
Her spell combined with the efforts of Sutherland (3-60) and Gardner (2-39) reeled Australia’s Ashes rivals in after Tammy Beaumont (78 off 105) handed her team a strong start.
With five wins and a washout for the tournament thus far, Australia have reclaimed top spot on the table, and will meet second-ranked South Africa, on a hot streak of their own having won five straight games, in their final round match on Saturday.
Injured Aussie captain Alyssa Healy embraces Annabel Sutherland // ICC/Getty
The winner of that game will advance to the October 30 semi-final, to be played in Navi Mumbai.
England meanwhile are bound for the Guwahati semi-final on October 29, as they cannot finish any lower than third or higher than second with one game to come against New Zealand on Sunday.
Looking to defend a decidedly below-par 9-244, an early burst from England quick Lauren Bell and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith had Australia on the back foot early in their chase.
With injured captain Alyssa Healy watching on from the sidelines, Bell knocked over Litchfield’s off-stump with a superb delivery that moved away from the left-hander in the first over of Australia’s chase.
Georgia Voll, opening the batting in place of Healy on World Cup debut, was bowled for seven after attempting to slog sweep Smith, only managing to get a bottom edge that ricocheted onto her stumps.
Australia were wobbling at 3-24 after Ellyse Perry (13) chipped a simple return catch back to Smith, and England – desperate to land a blow on Australia following their dismal Ashes campaign earlier this year – sensed their chance.
Beth Mooney briefly steadied proceedings alongside Sutherland, but when she was caught by a diving Natalie Sciver-Brunt at mid-wicket in the 16th over, Australia were 4-68 and still well adrift of their target.
Enter Gardner. The allrounder scored a match-winning century against New Zealand in Indore in Australia’s tournament opener, and again she made hay at Holkar Stadium as she joined Sutherland in the middle.
Sutherland, who was measured in her best innings of the tournament to date following three single-digit dismissals, reached her first World Cup half-century from 66 deliveries.
Gardner was not far behind, raising the bat off 47 balls. Then she exploded.
Her next fifty came off just 22 deliveries as she unleashed against frontliners Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone and the part-time spin of Alice Capsey.
With the pair rapidly closing in on their target, it became a game of mathematics to see whether both could bring up their tons. Gardner got there in the 40th over with the 15th boundary of her innings – then, with Australia just four runs away from their target and Sutherland on 95 at the other end, she batted away the next three deliveries for dots.
Sutherland had a crack at the hundred, skying her attempt to hit Ecclestone out of the ground before running two, but when she could only manage a single next ball, she was content to let Gardner ice victory.
Earlier, Sutherland was pivotal in pegging England back with the ball after Beaumont and Jones piled on 55 runs from the first eight overs.
The 24-year-old was brought into the attack to stem the flow of runs and immediately produced a wicket maiden, bowling Jones for 18.
Working in tandem with Australia’s spinners, Sutherland helped frustrate the key England pair of Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt and the pressure paid off when the former was trapped lbw by Sophie Molineux for 20.
Heather Knight is out lbw on review // ICC/Getty
King then had Sciver-Brunt (7) caught at mid-off looking to clear the inner ring – the fifth time she has dismissed the England superstar in international cricket in 2025.
Sutherland again used her slower ball to devastating effect, removing Beaumont on 78 when Voll took a juggling boundary catch, and with all the pressure on England’s mis-firing middle order, she followed up bowling Emma Lamb for seven.
Sophia Dunkley dug in but could only manage 22 from 48 deliveries before she was stumped looking to advance down the pitch to Gardner.
At that stage, England had lost 3-19 to be 6-166 and were well at risk of being bowled out for under 200.
It took a 61-run, 52-ball seventh-wicket stand between Capsey, whose 38 from 32 was her highest score of the tournament, and Charlie Dean (26) to at least temporarily save England’s blushes, putting them within touching distance of 250 by the end of their 50 overs.
Molineux was the other multiple wicket taker for Australia, collecting 2-52 in her return to the XI.
2025 Women’s ODI World Cup
Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
Australia’s group stage matches
October 1: Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs
October 4: v Sri Lanka: Abandoned without a ball bowled
October 8: Australia beat Pakistan by 107 runs
October 12: Australia beat India by 3 wickets
October 16: Australia beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets
October 22: Australia beat England by 6 wickets
October 25: v South Africa, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT
Finals
Semi-final 1: Guwahati, October 29, 8:30pm AEDT
Semi-final 2: Mumbai, October 30, 8:30pm AEDT
Final: Mumbai, November 2, 8:30pm AEDT
All matches to be broadcast exclusively live and free on Prime Video.
