AUS-W vs ENG-W

9:43 PM local time and IST: Yet another World Cap match featuring Australia Women, yet another win for the champion team! But once again, from a position of weakness. They were 68/4 in 15.5 overs chasing 244 when the 5th wicket partnership did it for them! The action now shifts to Navi Mumbai, when the India Women take on New Zealand Women. Some say that it is a virtual World-Cup quarter-final, which, in more ways than one, it is! The first ball is to be bowled at 3:00 PM local time and IST tomorrow. So from this match at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, it is the pair of Darpan and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Tahlia McGrath (Australia Women captain): "Spinners did a fantastic job with the ball. Then, after a shaky start, we managed to put together a strong and match-winning partnership between two world-class players in Ash (Ashleigh Gardner) and Bellsy (Annabel Sutherland)! We weren't good with our lengths up front and got punished, but would have taken 244 any day on that surface against such a good batting line-up! Annabel Sutherland is a tremendous cricketer! Sometimes, it is scary for us to think how young she is! But, just amazing! We pride ourselves in winning every game from any position, we did that today again. As for Alyssa Healy, we will take it day by day and see how things are with her." 

Natalie Sciver-Brunt (England Women captain): "I suppose we didn't have enough runs. Alana King bowled really well through the middle. But, with the lights coming on the conditions did change a little bit, but the partnership between Ash (Ashleigh Gardner) and Bellsy (Annabel Sutherland) took it away from us. I'd be happy with 280. We could have been better with our shot selection against Alana. But that's just a reflection. Tammy finding form is great news for us! We just couldn't control things with the ball when that partnership went along, we must say. We will take the learnings from this game. But we definitely can beat this wonderful Australian team if we face them again." 

Annabel Sutherland is the Player of the Match. She says, "It was pretty fun. Always good batting with Ashy (Gardner). To be honest, I was thinking about trying to have some fun in the middle. The wicket was good and with the outfield so quick you get value for your shots. I knew if I stayed in, I'll get the runs. We knew that the game was keep moving. We just had to keep batting. The ball was moving, there was some nip off a length. Alana King was pretty good and stalled them in the middle overs. (On her bowling) It was about trusting your instinct. I know that I have the instinct. I was happy about Ash getting it done."

9:26 PM local time and IST: Australia Women win by 6 wickets with 9 overs and 3 balls to spare! 

Ashleigh Gardner 104* (73) | Annabel Sutherland - 3/60 (10)
Tammy Beaumont 78 (105) | Linsey Smith - 2/43 (8)

Alyssa Healy did not play today and that was being talked about as a big miss. And indeed, Georgia Voll did not prove to be a worthy replacement tonight. Phoebe Litchfield failed. Ellyse Perry went for a low score. And Beth Mooney went when she was most needed. 

At that point, Linsey Smith and Sophie Ecclestone were all over Australia! Not to forget that ball from Lauren Bell which seamed away to beat Litchfield's outside edge and castle her! 

But after that, it was the Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner show! All the way to the end. Sutherland was butter-smooth right through her innings but Gardner wasn't early on. 

However, when Gardner got her first boundary, she felt more at home on this ground! Back foot, front foot, off-side, on-side, stepping out, sweeping, you name it and both batters were at it! 

No bowler was spared. No bowler. Whoever came on, suffered at the hands of Gardner and Sutherland. Alice Capsey was tried too, but to no avail. England were left searching for answers but found none. 

In the end, Gardner brought up her second straight century of the World Cup here in Indore while Sutherland allowed her partner to finish it off, only two runs shy of her three-figure score. 

Australia proved once again, just why they are still the team to beat. England have just suffered their first defeat of the tournament. 

40.3 Sophie Ecclestone to Ashleigh Gardner, FINISHES WITH A FOUR! Australia continue to remain undefeated. They have not lost a World Cup match after 20 July 2017! And with this, they are almost guaranteed the top spot on the points table. This was lobbed up on a drivable length outside off. Gardner lofted it towards the left of mid-off and the ball went scampering away to the boundary. 

40.2 Sophie Ecclestone to Annabel Sutherland, TAKES THE SINGLE! Full ball at the stumps. She stepped out and hit it to long-on. On 98*. Scores level.

40.1 Sophie Ecclestone to Annabel Sutherland, SWINGS HARD, SLICES... GETS DROPPED! Full ball speared in at the off pole. Sutherland had her front leg cleared. Knight, at extra cover, ran to her left and failed to cling on. Two runs. 

39.6 Lauren Bell to Ashleigh Gardner, hard length ball in the channel outside off. Gardner moves back and across and dabs it towards backward point — almost as if to say, "Over to you, Annabel".