Australia is gearing up for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup set to take place in the United Kingdom. All-rounder Ash Gardner demonstrated her skills by scoring a half-century during three preparatory matches against South Africa.
Prior to the commencement of the World Cup, Australia has scheduled warm-up games against England and the West Indies on June 8 and 10. Gardner’s recent performance, where she tallied 66 runs from 38 balls at Arundel Castle, contributed significantly to Australia’s 85-run victory over South Africa, a team that previously knocked them out in the semi-finals of the last tournament.
Ranked first in the world, Australia enters this World Cup with high expectations, especially after their inability to defend their 50-over title in 2025. In addition to Gardner’s impressive innings, fellow all-rounder Georgia Wareham also played a key role, scoring 52 runs off 29 balls, which propelled Australia to a score of 6-212. In response, South Africa managed just 6-127.
South African opener Laura Wolvaardt fell short of a half-century, finishing with 47 runs, while Australia’s bowlers, including Ellyse Perry (1-8), Annabel Sutherland (1-12), and new captain Sophie Molineux (1-16), effectively limited the opposition’s scoring.
Despite struggling with her batting in the initial two matches against South Africa, Gardner expressed relief at finding her form. “I hadn’t been hitting the ball well in the nets, so being able to perform in a game situation is certainly satisfying and boosts your confidence,” she remarked. “The nets give you some indication, but the real test comes in a competitive environment.”
Next, Australia will head to Cardiff to face England and the West Indies in their final warm-up matches before kicking off the tournament against South Africa on June 13.
