Ashleigh Gardner produced a career-best century to pull Australia out of peril, while Sophie Molineux starred on her return from injury as the Aussies held off New Zealand by 89 runs in their ODI World Cup opener.

Gardner rescued Australia from 5-128 at Indore’s Holkar Stadium, with the allrounder the picture of composure under pressure as her 83-ball 115 helped her team reach 326 all out in 49.3 overs.

White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine struck a run-a-ball 112 in reply to keep Kiwi hopes alive, but Kim Garth’s superb opening spell and a late brace of wickets from Annabel Sutherland (3-26) saw New Zealand bowled out for 237 in 43.2 overs.

Gardner’s hundred, the second century of her 81-game ODI career following an Ashes ton scored in similar circumstances in January, saw her become the first woman to hit a one-day century batting at No.6 or lower in a World Cup.

Despite no other Australian batter passing fifty, with their next highest contribution coming from opener Phoebe Litchfield (45 off 31), Gardner’s key partnerships with Tahlia McGrath (26), Molineux (14) and Garth (38) were enough for Australia to post their highest-ever ODI total against their trans-Tasman rivals.

“I kind of love coming in in those pressure situations,” Gardner said after the game. “I just try to take the game on, play the way that I do and then, hopefully, the success comes with it.

“We bat, genuinely, all the way down, so we have that freedom to play and that confidence within our group that even if we are five-down-for-not-too-many, we have the players to come in and change the game.”

Having elected to bat first on a warm Indore afternoon, Alyssa Healy (19) found the boundary three times but was brought undone when she charged down the track to left-arm quick Bree Illing, but couldn’t clear the infield, hammering it straight to Suzie Bates at cover. 

It continued a bit of a lean run for the Aussie skipper since arriving in India following scores of 27, 9 and 30 in the bilateral ODI series against India, and one in the warm-up against England. 

Litchfield meanwhile continued the sparkling form she has shown in recent months, once again setting the tone for the Australian innings.

She found the boundary six times and cleared it twice, as Australia raced to 1-81 from the 10-over Powerplay.

As soon as the field spread, Devine tossed the ball to Melie Kerr (2-54) and the star leg-spinner made an impact with her first delivery, as Litchfield failed to pick up her wrong’un and was bowled for 45.

As it did in Australia’s warm-up match, the dismissal of Litchfield triggered a middle-order stumble via a series of fairly tame dismissals.

Ellyse Perry was caught on 33 after mistiming an attempt to hit veteran pacer Lea Tahuhu (3-42) down the ground, then Sutherland (5) perished going after Kerr.

Beth Mooney followed in similar fashion, chipping a simple catch straight to Kerr at extra cover to give Tahuhu a second. Suddenly, Australia had lost 4-47 and were looking wobbly at 5-128 in the 22nd over.

McGrath joined Gardner to steady the innings in a 50-run stand, before becoming Tahuhu’s third via another tame catch, and while Molineux cleared the boundary early in her return to international cricket, she became another to hole out, leaving the Aussies 7-239 with 12 overs remaining in their innings.

Gardner needed someone to stick with her and she found the perfect foil in Garth, who was rock solid after being promoted ahead of Alana King to No.9.

The allrounder’s half-century had taken 43 deliveries, but Gardner grew in confidence as triple figures drew nearer, and she brought up her century off 77 balls with a sublime cover drive.

A straight drive next ball eclipsed her previous ODI high score, and her onslaught carried on to the 47th over as she took Australia past the 300-mark before she finally edged Illing behind to ‘keeper Izzy Gaze.

Tailenders Garth, King and Darcie Brown added another 18 runs from the final 18 deliveries before Australia were bowled out with three balls remaining in their innings.

“It’s Australia for you, isn’t it?” Devine said after play. “I think they bat so deep, and we know the talent that they’ve got, even Kim Garth coming in at nine or whatever she was, still looked like a really good batter.

“That’s the thing – you just can’t let your foot off the throat with them because they just bat all the way to 11.” 

New Zealand’s chase got off to a disastrous start, with opener Georgia Plimmer run out without facing a ball in the first over after she was belatedly called through for a sneaky single by Bates.

When Molineux bowled Bates three balls later – a dream comeback in her first game since December 2024 having undergone knee surgery – the White Ferns were two wickets down without a run scored.

Sophie Molineux struck in her first over // Getty

The pressure built by the pace of Garth and Molineux’s left-arm spin saw New Zealand crawl to 2-36 from the Powerplay, and when King dismissed Melie Kerr (33) to break her 75-run third-wicket stand with Devine, the White Ferns’ task became all the tougher.

But Devine, who had earlier shed a tear during the New Zealand national anthem as the NZ skipper entered what will be her ODI World Cup swansong, kept going, punishing anything even slightly off target from the Aussies.

Brown’s four overs were punished for 52 runs. The South Australian quick was brought into the Aussie XI for her extra pace, but the combination of that pace, Devine’s power and the lightning outfield worked against her.

Unfortunately for the New Zealand captain, she continued losing partners – Brooke Halliday (28) holed out to the bowling of King, Maddy Green (20) was run out following an athletic save from Brown, while Gaze (28 from 18) made an impressive cameo on WC debut.

Devine’s ninth ODI century came via a massive six off the bowling of Gardner, but when she was bowled by Sutherland shortly after – one of three the Australian allrounder took in the 43rd over, capping off a superb spell where she went at 2.89rpo bowling to the Kiwi captain in full flight – New Zealand lost 4-2 to be all out for 237.

Australia will now fly to Colombo ahead of their second game against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

2025 Women’s ODI World Cup

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Australia’s group stage matches

October 1: Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs

October 4: v Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7:30pm AEST

October 8: v Pakistan, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 8:30pm AEDT

October 12: v India, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT

October 16: v Bangladesh, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT

October 22: v England, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT

October 25: v South Africa, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT

Finals

Semi-final 1: Guwahati or Colombo*, October 29, 8:30pm AEDT

Semi-final 2: Mumbai, October 30, 8:30pm AEDT

Final: Mumbai or Colombo*, November 2, 8:30pm AEDT

All matches to be broadcast exclusively live and free on Prime Video.

* All games involving Pakistan to be played in Colombo, including the semi-final and final if they qualify