Veteran Australian player Ashleigh Gardner is often regarded as one of the best spin-bowling all-rounders of recent times. Besides, pioneers of the game like Lisa Sthalekar regarded her as one of the successful by-products of the WBBL. Though she has decent records in limited-over cricket and has played match-winning knocks and spells, with her performance in the Trent Bridge Tets she stumped her abilities in the longer format of the games as well.
Ashleigh Gardner, the girl from Muruwari Community, became the 2nd only Aboriginal player to represent in a test match after Faith Thomas in the 2019 Ashes. Atch that s curtailed by the rain, Ashleigh Gardner came to bat as the no 9 batter and remained unbeaten on 5 from 11 Australia pull the curtain of their batting on 420/8 as Beth Mooney fell for 51.
On a pitch that provided little assistance to the bowlers, she bowled 18 overs for 1/36, Katherine Brunt being her maiden test wicket. In the 2nd innings, her 7 from 5 came when the match was destined to be drawn.
In her next series against India, on a surface that was suitable for the seam bowlers, Gardner bowled the most overs, 30 for her 1/52. Her wicket was that of Smriti Mandhana’s. Mandhaana was batting on 135 and India was truly on top with 195/1 in the 69th over. So Ash put up a trap for her.
McGrath was placed at a catching mid-off near the bowler, Ashleigh Gardner looped up a lovely tempter outside off, and Mandhana skipped out but it just dropped on her late, she drove on the up but hit it in the air straight to McGrath.
Her maiden half-century came at a point when Australia was in bother losing 4 wickets in 119 runs. Along with Ellyse Perry, she resisted the Indian fast bowling trio towards her 86 balls 51 which saw the Australian score sail closer to 228, the score needed to avoid follow-on. Once she fell, the Australian lower order suffered a collapse too.
In the 2022 Ashes, she hit her 2nd half-century in the test match. Before the Trent Bridge Ashes test match, Ash only had 4 wickets in 5 innings with an average of more than 40. With two half-centuries her batting average too touched almost 40 with 157 runs in 5 innings.
Ashleigh Gardner, came out to bat when Australia lost 3 quick wickets and was reduced to 226/5 in the first innings. A couple of overs later, Perry got out on 99. Australia was 238/6. Along with Sutherland, added 77 for the 7th wicket with a personal score of 40 which included a six against Dunkley. Ash was brought into the attack by Healy when England survived the opening threat f the Australian seamers.
Out of the three spinners, Ashleigh Gardner produced a turn from the pitch and batters seemed uncomfortable against her. While King and Jess Jonassen (bowled only five overs) failed to make any dent in the England batting order, she chipped in with important wickets of Knight (57), and Nat Sciver-Brunt (78) and then broke the defence of Tammy Beaumont (208). She ended on 4/99 in more than 25 overs.
Women’s Ashes 2023: Ashleigh Gardner stepped up with the ball in the one-off Test
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