Match-winner Gardner proud to represent her people on big stage

Through each of the 100 deliveries Ashleigh Gardner faced on her way to her breakout first international century on Friday, a reminder of who she was playing for was front and centre in her eyeline.

When the 27-year-old pulled Lauren Bell forward of square for two run to bring up triple figures for the first time in the green and gold at Bellerive Oval, she not only became the first woman to hit an ODI century batting at No.6 – she also became the first Aboriginal woman to hit an international hundred.

It was a moment Gardner had not yet had a chance to reflect fully on in the immediate aftermath of Australia's 68-run victory over England, but where she comes from is never far from her mind. 

"I feel like I'm a role model for my people, and to be able to play for my country is something that I can always be really proud of and following the footsteps of those that came before me," Gardner said on Friday.

"To be the first ever Aboriginal woman to score a hundred is something that I can hang my hat on and be really proud of. 

"But whenever I step out onto the field, I'm playing for more than just myself. 

"I'm playing for my people, my family, my community … to be able to represent them well on the biggest stage is something that I take with immense pride.

"Having my tribe name (Muruwari) tattooed on my forearm ... whenever I look down at (it) when I'm tapping my bat, it's just that one of those moments that you can look back on.

"Having the Aboriginal flag tattooed on my front arm as well, is just one of those reminders that there's more to cricket than cricket, and you're not only representing yourself, but so many other people."

Gardner's match-changing innings of 102 from as many balls was years in the making.

Having originally broken into the Australian team in 2017 as a batting allrounder, she has since evolved into one of the world's best finger spinners, and more recently that facet of her game has become her more dominant skill.

But Gardner has shown signs of her best with the bat over the last six weeks, ending a lean run she had in the T20 format during WBBL|10.

On Friday, she strode to the middle with Australia 4-59 after opting to bat first and shared 95- and 103-run stands with Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath to ultimately help her team set England a mammoth 8-308.

"I've played a lot of international games and haven't quite made that mark … to be able to reach that was pretty emotional, it was pretty cool to tick off," Garder said.

"When I got out there, we were in a bit of a tough patch and for me and Moons, it was just basically to build a partnership and to just ease the nerves a little bit and calm people down. 

"We were able to get a really good partnership going and the conversation was just around putting pressure back on them. 

"I know for me, batting in those types of situations, you can go back in your shell, when for me that doesn't really work, because then I go too far the other way, so I still try to be really proactive.

"Why I love batting in ODI cricket is I've got more balls than what I think and sometimes that's all I need, is just to get my innings going that way, and then being able to capitalise. 

"I've put a lot of time and effort in, I know the Big Bash this year didn't go the way that I would have liked... to play some good ODI series against India and New Zealand coming into this series, I was coming in with a bit of confidence with the bat."

Gardner's previous high ODI score was 74, scored in New Zealand last month, while her highest knock in any format was the 93 she hit in a T20I against India in February 2020.

Given her relative inexperience at navigating the 'nervous nineties', Gardner said she had been relieved to get through them in just five deliveries.

"It was one of those things, because I haven't made many hundreds throughout my whole cricketing life, I had a feeling that I would get really nervous in the 90s and building up to that point," she said. 

"I think people speak about the number 87, which is a number that you don't want to be on for too long. 

"Thankfully for me, Nat (Sciver-Brunt) bowled a couple down leg, and I was able to get those away to the boundary and race through the 90s and then the rest just fell in place, and I was able to get to that milestone ... certainly something that I can be really proud of."

Australia are on the cusp of retaining the Ashes, holding a 6-0 lead in the multi-format series ahead of the T20I leg beginning in Sydney on Monday.

But having surrendered the same lead in 2023, when England stormed home to level the Ashes 8-8, Gardner said there was no risk of complacency. 

"We haven't (won it) until we get to 10 points," she said. 

"We'll certainly be in the box seat, we can take a lot of confidence with what we've done. 

"I know there was redemption after the white-ball series that we played last time in the Ashes (when) we weren't up to it, and I think the standard that we've shown throughout (this series), today was probably the most clinical batting performance that we've put out there. 

"Knowing that we're going into the T20s, which I think is England's best format … (we’ll) take confidence in what we've done in these last three ODIs."

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-0

First ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs

First T20I: January 20: SCG, Sydney, 7.15pm AEDT

Second T20I: January 23: Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7.15pm AEDT

Third T20I: January 25: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 6.45pm ACDT (7.15pm AEDT)

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: January 30 - February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: TBC

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia from Jan 12 - Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub