Australia defeat England by six wickets in the 2025 Women's World Cup

Australia showcased their trademark resilience to seal a six-wicket victory over England in a hard-fought ODI World Cup 2025 clash at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Despite missing captain Alyssa Healy due to a minor calf injury, the defending champions held their nerve under pressure to continue their unbeaten run in the tournament. Meanwhile, with Healy sidelined, Tahlia McGrath stepped up to lead the side, while Georgia Voll was brought into the playing XI and Beth Mooney took over wicketkeeping duties.

Opting to bat first, England were off to a steady start, largely thanks to a composed innings from veteran opener Tammy Beaumont. The 34-year-old played fluently, anchoring the innings with a well-made 78. However, regular wickets at the other end disrupted England’s momentum. Alice Capsey chipped in with a valuable 38 down the order, and Charlie Dean added 26 to help England post a competitive 244.

Australia’s bowlers maintained tight control throughout. Annabel Sutherland was the pick of



the attack, finishing with figures of 3/60, while spinners Sophie Molineux and Ashleigh Gardner took two wickets each to keep England in check.

Chasing 245, Australia’s innings got off to a shaky start. The top order struggled, with the team reduced to 68/4, and Voll, who replaced Healy, managed just six runs. However, what followed was a remarkable recovery led by Sutherland and Gardner. The duo combined for an unbeaten 180-run stand that turned the game on its head. Gardner was particularly aggressive, smashing 104* off just 73 balls, while Sutherland played the perfect support role with an unbeaten 98.

Gardner sealed the win in style with a boundary, as Australia reached the target with more than nine overs to spare. Meanwhile, Sutherland's all-round brilliance earned her a place in the history books, becoming just the third Australian woman to take three wickets and score over 50 runs in a single World Cup match, following legends Karen Rolton (1997) and Shelley Nitschke (2009).