Confidence can go a long way, but it can quickly be over-run and Australia knows both sides well as they take their first point of the Women’s Ashes into Tuesday’s second ODI in Melbourne.
Gardner and King also combined with the ball, taking 3 for 19 and 2 for 35 respectively after seamers Kim Garth and Megan Shute put a lid on England’s nervy start.
For Gardner, it was a continuation of his excellent form after his lackluster run with the bat against India and New Zealand last month. Against India, he scored a fifty and took five wickets in the third ODI, his first international half-century in white-ball cricket since July 2023, his only innings of 49 in the recent WBBL season for the Sixers against crosstown rivals Thunder. , where he was more damaging with the ball. He scored 74 in the third ODI against New Zealand just before this series.
“I took a lot of confidence from what I was able to do in the New Zealand series,” Gardner said. “Contributing with both bat and ball was something I wanted to do to start the series well and take some confidence into the back of this series. We know there’s a long way to go in this Ashes series.
“We realized very quickly that last time in England we were six-nil down and then it was chased very quickly. We can play amazing cricket, but England are a good team and they always find a way.
“They certainly fought really hard in that series and we know they’ll look at this game today and look at the things they didn’t do very well and the things they did well. We know they’ll come back firing in the next game.”
Gardner revealed he has been showing elbow problems for a few months but insists it has not been a problem.
Meanwhile, Healy, making a comeback from a knee injury, scored 70 off 78 balls in England’s innings after returning to wicketkeeping duties for the first time since mid-November.
“He’s going to take a lot of confidence from today,” Gardner said. “Even looking at the way he was batting in the New Zealand series, he was striking the ball really well and got some starts, but then I think scoring 70-odd in front of his home crowd today will probably give you a boost. Captain, he’s leading from the front.
“But I know just from a physical point of view that he’s going to take a lot of confidence as long as he’s been there and then being able to back it up at the top of the order, so that’s really pleasing for him and hopefully there’s some signs coming that he can score more runs. .
“Sometimes you can get caught chasing a low total, just chasing the total instead of actually trying to bat properly, and we always talk if you’re chasing small totals, sometimes they’re the hardest to chase. Today it’s just Will give our team a lot of confidence, be it bat or ball, and we can take a lot away from today.
Indeed, it was Australia’s flurry of bowling and soft dismissals that restricted England to an even score and left them with things to work for.
A record crowd of 6,236 for a women’s international at North Sydney Oval was a great start to a series with high ambitions for attendance, particularly in the day-night Test at the MCG which closes on January 30.
“It’s my home ground, I’m from Sydney, I’ve played a lot of cricket here and I’ve played a lot of successful cricket games here for the Sixers or Australia,” Gardner said. “So I guess to start the series in front of that crowd, hopefully that will lead to more crowds throughout the rest of the series.
“We’re playing at some really great venues, so hopefully we’ll play some entertaining cricket throughout the series, fingers crossed, for people to come and see us and hopefully lead to some more success.”
Valkerie Baynes is the General Editor, Women’s Cricket, ESPNcricinfo
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