Gardner, Sutherland dominate as Australia outclass England

A game-changing 104* off 73 balls from Ashleigh Gardner and an unbeaten 98 from Annabel Sutherland powered Australia to a six-wicket win over England in Indore, reclaiming their spot at the top of the table. The duo had earlier combined to pick up five wickets to restrict England to 244/9 before adding an unbroken 180-run stand - the second-highest for the fifth wicket or lower in women's ODIs - to seal victory in just 40.3 overs.

Australia's chase began shakily as Lauren Bell and Linsey Smith struck early. Phoebe Litchfield was undone by a wobble-seam beauty from Bell, while Georgia Voll missed a slogsweep to be bowled by Smith. Ellyse Perry, after three boundaries, offered a return catch to the left-arm spinner, leaving Australia reeling at 24/3. A brief recovery followed through Beth Mooney and Sutherland, who added 44, but Sophie Ecclestone broke it with a short ball that Mooney pulled straight to midwicket.

Australia endured a 28-ball boundary drought before Sutherland and Gardner broke the shackles in the 21st over off Charlie Dean. Sutherland launched the innings' only six with a sweep, and reached her fifty with a boundary off Dean. Gardner matched her partner's tempo, raising a 47-ball half-century with a four off Nat Sciver-Brunt before reeling off two more boundaries. She later took Alice Capsey for three successive fours as Australia's scoring surged past 200 in the 36th over.

Sutherland was on 91 and Gardner on 81 when the latter unleashed three fours in an over off Ecclestone to go past her partner. Gardner soon brought up her third ODI hundred - and second of this World Cup - with an outside edge for four off Bell, reaching the landmark in just 69 balls. It was the fastest hundred in Women's World Cup history, eclipsing Deandra Dottin's 71-ball effort against Pakistan in 2017. Sutherland, dropped by Heather Knight off Ecclestone, moved to 98 with a couple and a single but fell just short of a ton as Gardner finished the job in the same over with her 16th four.

Earlier, Tahlia McGrath, leading Australia in the absence of Alyssa Healy, chose to bowl, and England wasted no time in taking charge. Tammy Beaumont set the tone early, hitting a boundary off Megan Schutt before following it up with a six and a four off Kim Garth. Amy Jones, after a cautious start, unleashed three fours in an over off Schutt, while Beaumont struck three boundaries in Garth's over as England raced to 50 inside eight overs. Sutherland finally broke the partnership, bowling Jones with one that nipped in and straightened. Beaumont and Knight added 35 more, but Knight fell leg-before to Sophie Molineux.

Beaumont reached her fifty, but another setback followed as skipper Sciver-Brunt attempted a big shot off Alana King and perished, leaving England 105 for 3. A watchful stand between Sophia Dunkley and Beaumont helped steady the innings, adding 42 before Sutherland ended Beaumont's patient knock of 78 off 105 balls and also dismissed Emma Lamb. Gardner then accounted for Dunkley, as England slipped to 166 for 6 in the 40th over.

England got a late lift from the lower order, with Dean and Capsey putting on a brisk 61-run stand for the seventh wicket, hitting eight fours between them. But both fell in quick succession - Molineux trapped Capsey in front and Gardner had Dean caught at extra-cover. Ecclestone's two fours helped England wrap up their innings six shy of the 250-mark but the total proved insufficient as Australia sealed an emphatic win.

Brief scores: England 244/9 in 50 overs (Tammy Beaumont 78, Alice Capsey 38; Annabel Sutherland 3-60, Ashleigh Gardner 2-39) lost to Australia 248/4 in 40.3 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 104*, Annabel Sutherland 98*; Linsey Smith 2-43) by 6 wickets.