AUS vs ENG: Fans erupt as Ashleigh Gardner lights up Bellerive Oval with maiden century in third ODI

AUS vs ENG: Fans erupt as Ashleigh Gardner lights up Bellerive Oval with maiden century in third ODI | Ashes of women 2025

Article Updated On:

January 17 2025

FitToFar

Published On:

January 17 2025

In what has been described as one of the standout performances of the Women’s ODI Ashes series, Ashleigh Gardner achieved a major milestone in his cricket career by scoring his first One Day International (ODI) century in the third match in the 50-over format. The match took place at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, where Gardner’s century not only showcased his talent but also propelled Australia to a formidable total against England.

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Ashleigh Gardner’s heroics propel Australia to stunning total

Australia, facing a challenging start at 4/59, found a savior in Gardner, who came in at number six. The New South Wales all-rounder played a pivotal role in Australia’s innings, turning the game on its head with a composed and aggressive knock. Gardner’s century came off 100 balls, including eight fours and one six, taking Australia to a formidable total of 308/8. This was not just a personal achievement but a critical team effort as Australia aimed to take a commanding lead in the series.

Gardner’s first ODI century shows resilience and skill

Gardner’s innings was a masterclass in resilience and adaptability. Starting cautiously, he took advantage of the loose deliveries of England’s bowlers, gradually increasing his scoring rate. His innings were marked by timely offside shots and powerful pulls when the ball was short. His century was celebrated with great support from the crowd and his teammates, recognizing his first international century in his 77th ODI match.

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Contributions from Tahlia McGrath and Georgia Wareham boost Australia’s total

Gardner was ably supported by other key players in the lineup. Notable contributions came from Tahlia McGrathwho added 55 crucial runs, and Georgia Warehamwho finished the innings with an unbeaten 38 off just 12 balls, providing the finishing touch to Australia’s total.

This is how Twitter reacted:

SINGLE TON!!
Ash Gardner scores three figures for the first time for Australia, what a coup! #Ashes #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/fC3zeyQjy6
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 17, 2025

Ash Gardner mentions his first ODI century in Hobart 👏#AUSvENG | 📝 https://t.co/50bZ6iMjjQ pic.twitter.com/sEA1yJoLhI
— ICC (@ICC) January 17, 2025

Ash Gardner not only rescued Australia from a sticky situation with his first ODI century but also made some records for himself. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/OAieW6tHD5
— Chetan Malusare (@MalusareChetanS) January 17, 2025

Century for Ash Gardner.
Take a bow.
This is an entry. pic.twitter.com/Lnd5EcklfD
– CricCrazy (@CricCrazeNep) January 17, 2025

Proud to be a member of the Ash Gardner fan club.
What entries.#Ashes
– Super Wealth Fund (@Edtechx) January 17, 2025

This has to be demoralizing for England.
Australia went 4-59. They really should never have gone over 220.
Instead, an incredible Gardner-McGrath partnership and some late hits from Wareham take the total over 300.
He #Ashes it might end before we change formats.
-Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) January 17, 2025

Just when you start to think Aus may need to back off a bit and re-evaluate their approach, they find Ash Gardner coming in and proving that counter-punching will always be the route they choose. This is not a game for the faint-hearted.#JustKeepPunching #MustNotRetire
– Ananya Upendran (@a_upendran11) January 17, 2025

Ash Gardner and Beth Mooney have done a great job rescuing the innings… but I have a feeling this will be the day Tahlia McGrath shows her true value to the team. @abcsport
He has been out of form but I think he will take the score from par to exceptional!#Handy7 #washed 🏏
-Zane Bojack (@zanofc) January 17, 2025

Could Ash Gardner stop being so good at cricket?
-James Allan (@jamesallan163) January 17, 2025

https://twitter.com/_Frost_45/status/1880075695793320362

Ash Gardner’s 102 today is his first ODI century, surpassing his previous high of 74, and is the first century scored by any batsman at number 6 in ODIs (previous high: 90 by Pakistan’s Alex Blackwell and Fatima Sana).
—Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) January 17, 2025