Aussie Gardner shows she's worth the big rupees in WPL

By: Ian Chadband Time published 2023-03-09 at 05:40 AM (GMT +11:00)

Ash Gardner has shown why Gujarat Giants made her the highest-paid overseas player in the WPL as she led the Australian-dominated team to a first win.

ASHLEIGH GARDNER of the Sixers bats during the Women's Big Bash League match between the Sydney Sixers and the Hobart Hurricanes at the WACA in Perth, Australia.
ASHLEIGH GARDNER of the Sixers bats during the Women's Big Bash League match between the Sydney Sixers and the Hobart Hurricanes at the WACA in Perth, Australia. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Ash Gardner has demonstrated why she's being paid the big rupees in India's Women's Premier League as she helped spin the league's 'Team Australia' to their first win of the tournament.

The Indigenous star allrounder, who was the joint-biggest overseas buy at the WPL auction at a cool $558,000, hadn't exactly set the event alive in her first two matches for Gujarat Giants.

But Gardner took two key wickets in her final two overs and checked Royal Challengers Bangalore's run-chase on Wednesday to give a Giants side featuring three Australian stars a badly needed maiden win by 11 runs at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium.

The victory was achieved without another Australian star, Beth Mooney, who has now been ruled out for the tournament after picking up a knee injury in their first match last weekend.

World Cup-final player of the match Mooney has been replaced in the Giants line-up by South African Laura Wolvaardt.

"I was really looking forward to the maiden WPL season ... but unfortunately injuries are part and parcel of the sport, and I am gutted to be missing the remainder of the season," Mooney said in a statement released by the team.

"I will be keeping a close eye on the team's performance from afar and will be rooting for them every single day," she said about Gujarat, who are fourth in the five-team league after one win and two losses.

"Though I will be away from the field of play for the rest of the season, I am looking forward to coming back stronger, fitter and I will definitely be hungrier next season."

India's Sneh Rana will take over as Gujarat captain with Gardner as her deputy.

In Mooney's absence, Gardner took 3-31 off her four overs with compatriot Annabel Sutherland, while getting carted around for 56 off her four, also picking up two big scalps as RCB chased the Giants' 7-201.

It was the fourth time in six WPL matches that the team batting first had amassed more than 200, with England's Sophia Dunkley hammering 65 off 28 balls and India's Harleen Diol 67 off 45.

Though she was unlucky with a couple of dismissal near-misses, RCB's Aussie great Ellyse Perry got tonked for 43 off her four overs - including 19 off her final over - while her international pace bowling compatriot Megan Schutt finally took her first wicket of the tournament, finishing with 1-26 off three overs.

With the bat, Perry looked well set to launch an assault in the chase but eventually succumbed for 32 after giving a simple catch to Dayalan Hemalatha at short third.

RCB's captain Smriti Mandhana, the highest-paid player in the league, also again flattered to deceive, getting out to Gardner for 18 off 14.

RCB's New Zealand opener Sophie Devine was the last hope as she reached 66 off 45 balls, but she smacked a Sutherland full toss straight into Gardner's hands at long-on as her side remain winless in the competition.