Australia’s star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner etched her identify into cricket’s historical past books with a blistering hundred in opposition to New Zealand throughout the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Strolling in at No. 6 together with her crew struggling at 128/5, Gardner delivered one of many most interesting counter-attacking knocks the match has ever witnessed. Australia posted 326 in 49.3 overs in opposition to New Zealand at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Wednesday, October 1.
Ashleigh Gardner’s record-breaking hundred for Australia in opposition to New Zealand in Girls’s World Cup 2025
Gardener scored 115 off simply 83 balls, turning into the primary cricketer in Girls’s World Cup historical past to hit a century batting at No. 6 or decrease. Her innings not solely rescued Australia but additionally powered them to a robust whole, altering the course of the match utterly.
Gardner’s innings was a masterclass in composure and managed aggression below stress. When she walked out to bat within the twenty second over, the state of affairs regarded dire for the seven-time champions, who had misplaced 5 wickets in fast succession. But, Gardner displayed exceptional maturity, absorbing the stress whereas sustaining a brisk scoring fee. She reached her century in simply 77 balls by driving Sophie Devine via the covers for 4 within the forty sixth over, turning into the third-fastest centurion in Girls’s World Cup historical past.
The milestone additionally set her aside as the one batter to attain a century from No. 6 or beneath within the match’s lengthy historical past, surpassing Alex Blackwell’s 90 in 2017. Gardner’s capacity to seek out gaps with crisp timing, mix boundaries with strike rotation, and preserve her nerve regardless of the collapse round her made this knock really historic. By the point she was dismissed by Bree Illing within the forty seventh over, Gardner had smashed 16 fours and a six, making certain her innings can be remembered as one of many defining knocks of World Cup cricket.
Ashleigh Gardner scores the HIGHEST by a No.6 or decrease batter in ladies’s ODIs.
115 – Asheligh Gardner🇦🇺 v NZ, 2025*
105 – Shemaine Campbelle🏝️ v SL, 2013
104 – Annerie Dercksen🇿🇦 v SL, 2025
102 – Ashleigh Gardner🇦🇺 v ENG, 2025
93 – Deepti Sharma🇮🇳 v SA, 2025🔹 Gardner additionally… pic.twitter.com/2zJi4GGCN3
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) October 1, 2025
Ash Gardner turns into the FIRST ever cricketer to attain a century whereas batting at 6 or decrease place in a ladies’s World Cup.
Earlier report :
90 – Alex Blackwell 🇦🇺 v IND, 2017
74* – Ally Kuylaars 🇿🇦 v PAK, 1997
73* – Maria Fahey 🇳🇿 v IND, 2005#CWC25 #AUSvNZ— Rhitankar Bandyopadhyay (@_rhitankar_) October 1, 2025
Additionally WATCH: Women’s World Cup: Amelia Kerr’s googly rattles Phoebe Litchfield’s stumps in AUS-W vs NZ-W game
CWC 2025: Gardner’s essential Partnerships that lifted Australia from disaster to command
Equally necessary to Gardner’s century had been the partnerships she constructed alongside the best way, which pulled Australia out of a gap and right into a place of dominance. First, she added 64 essential runs with Tahlia McGrath, steadying the ship when New Zealand had been firmly in management. Then got here a gritty 47-run stand with Sophie Molineux, which annoyed the White Ferns’ bowlers and gave Australia respiratory house.
Nonetheless, it was the 69-run partnership with Kim Garth that actually turned the innings round. This stand grew to become the second-highest eighth wicket or decrease partnership for Australia in Girls’s World Cup historical past, solely behind Blackwell and Beams’ 76-run tenth wicket stand in 2017. Gardner marshalled the decrease order brilliantly, guiding her companions whereas shouldering the scoring burden. Each time New Zealand sensed a breakthrough, Gardner counter-punched with boundaries that deflated their spirits. By the point she fell, Australia had surged previous 300, a rating unthinkable at 128/5. These partnerships highlighted Gardner’s capacity not simply as a power-hitter however as a frontrunner in disaster, orchestrating Australia’s fightback with talent and resilience.
69-run partnership between Gardner and Garth is the second-highest for Australia Girls for the eighth wicket or beneath in World Cups, behind the 76 runs tenth wicket stand between Kristen Beams and Alex Blackwell in opposition to India at Derby in 2017.
— ankit (@ankit5y5) October 1, 2025
Right here’s how followers reacted:
2nd ODI hundred and what a time to attain it. In a World Cup sport with the crew below stress. Sensible innings by star Ash Gardner. 👏 pic.twitter.com/gqiQ8N1Etr
— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) October 1, 2025
Ash Gardner begins the World Cup with a century-the first century of this World Cup. Hats Off!
Large acceleration anticipated from right here ! pic.twitter.com/jOyXILOJLa— AsliBCCIWomen (@AsliBCCIWomen) October 1, 2025
Followers bowing all the way down to Ashleigh Gardner in Indore. Have a look at that! Deserved respect. What a gun participant she is and never one to draw back from standing up for a trigger! #AUSvNZ #CWC25
— Lavanya 🎙️🎥👩🏻💻 (@lav_narayanan) October 1, 2025
Obscene innings from Ash Gardner there. The problem with beating Australia is there’s at all times somebody who makes runs, even on their worst days.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) October 1, 2025
Critical innings by Ash Gardner to convey up her maiden 💯 in World Cup. The Aussies had been in bother, nevertheless she has given the bowlers one thing to defend. For somebody who not often smiles, I beloved the celebration.
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) October 1, 2025
Ash Gardner 🌟#AUSvNZ
— Peeyush Sharma (@peeyushsharmaa) October 1, 2025
Gardner is displaying how straightforward to bat on this wicket. What a disgrace about the remainder of the batters batting Litchfield . Extraordinarily disappointing #CWC25
— Cricket Tamizhan (@CricketTamizhan) October 1, 2025
Want the World Cup was on a platform extra individuals watched in Australia, as a result of this Ash Gardner innings is particular #CWC25
— Ricky Mangidis (@rickm18) October 1, 2025
Ash Gardner is ridiculous. The terrifying nature of the Aussies’ Girls facet – They are a swiss military knife, they solely want 1 of seven to hit properly they usually have 300 on the board. #CWC25
— Dre Harrison (@DreHarrison101) October 1, 2025
Ashleigh Gardner turns the sport round with a shocking century, main Australia’s exceptional restoration below stress within the Girls’s World Cup 2025 in opposition to New Zealand.#AshleighGardner #CWC25 #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/Db83VUMnDw
— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) October 1, 2025
Additionally READ: Youngsters to watch in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup
This text was first revealed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times firm.
