All-rounders Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner shared an unbeaten 180-run partnership as Australia asserted their dominance with a comprehensive six-wicket victory over arch-rivals England in their Women's World Cup clash here on Wednesday.
Spinners Alana King (1/20), Sophie Molineux (2/52), Gardner (2/39) and pacer Sutherland (3/60) restricted England to a modest 244 for nine despite Tammy Beaumont's patient 79 off 108 balls after opting to bowl.
Sutherland (98 not out) then capped off a fine day by anchoring the run chase, rescuing Australia from a shaky start and guiding them home in the company of Gardner (104 not out), who provided the perfect foil with her fluent strokeplay.
With this win, Australia not only maintained their unbeaten record in the tournament but also reclaimed the top spot on the points table.
Chasing a below par target, Australia found themselves in early trouble at 24 for three inside six overs, as the English new-ball pair of Linsey Smith and Lauren Bell hit consistent lengths and removed the top order cheaply.
However, Australia's famed batting depth once again proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Beth Mooney (20) steadied the innings in a 44-run stand with Sutherland, before Gardner joined forces with the 24-year-old all-rounder as the Australians hit boundaries at will, reaching the target with 57 balls to spare.
Earlier, Beaumont gave England a rollicking start while Alice Capsey (38) and Charlie Dean (26) put up an important 61 run partnership at the fag end of the innings as England suffered yet another familiar collapse.
But King demonstrated why she remains one of the most skilful wrist spinners in the game.
Beaumont set the tone early, flicking her very first delivery through square leg for four before lofting Kim Garth over mid-wicket for a majestic six. She then drove crisply through the covers, exuding composure and timing as she settled into her rhythm.
At the other end, Amy Jones (18) got going with three well-placed boundaries off Megan Schutt, punishing anything too full or wide.
Beaumont, looking increasingly confident, continued to target Garth, who struggled to find consistency, dispatching her for three more crisp boundaries in a single over.
She whipped the first delivery off her pads through mid-wicket, then added another in the same region to reach her first fifty of the tournament off 44 balls.
The openers added 55 for the first wicket, giving England a solid platform.
However, Sutherland's introduction into the attack brought immediate dividends for Australia as she produced a gem of a delivery to knock back Jones' off stump.
The dismissal halted England’s momentum just as they looked poised for a big partnership. Beaumont then briefly found support in skipper Heather Knight (20) as the pair added 35 runs for the second wicket.
Molineux broke the stand by trapping Knight, while King sent back Nat Sciver-Brunt cheaply, reducing England to a precarious position.
With pressure mounting, Sophia Dunkley (22) joined Beaumont, but the flow of boundaries dried up as King and Molineux operated in tandem, strangling the scoring rate with tight lines and clever variations.
Dunkley never looked settled, and the mounting pressure began to tell. Trying to shift gears, Beaumont attempted to break free with a few boundaries, but her aggressive intent eventually proved costly.
She mis-timed a slower delivery, lofting it straight to long-on, where Georgia Voll completed stunning catch close to the boundary rope.
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