Alyssa Healy’s team has already taken a 1-0 lead in the series after winning the first game against Ashleigh Gardner by eight wickets. On Wednesday, February 7, Australia will play South Africa in the second One-Day International (ODI) of their current three-match series at the North Sydney Oval in New South Wales.
Star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner said before the game that she thought she could play well at bat. The 26-year-old solidified her status as the top spinner in the world in 2023 by taking a record 58 wickets for Australia in all formats. Ashleigh Gardner was not as successful with the bat, though. She recently hit an undefeated 26 to help Australia win the third Twenty20 International in Hobart, where they won by five wickets. Notably, she felt confident in her batting again after this performance.
The aspect of my game that has been the most reliable right now is how I’m bowling. With the bat, it’s quite obvious what my responsibilities are and what the situation requires of me. I was just trying to break out of a little bit of a form slump, so that’s definitely something I’ve been away from a little bit over the last few months,” cricket.com.au cited Ashleigh Gardner as saying.
“The way that I batted in Hobart was the blueprint for me; it’s making sure that I’m taking a few balls at the start and then knowing that I can find boundaries later in my innings and having confidence in that as well, because that’s what I’ve done through my whole career, being that attacking batter,” she said.
Ashleigh Gardner continued, saying that although she used to think she was only an “okay bowler,” she now feels that her bowling is consistent.
In Adelaide Oval, Australia’s maiden ODI, she took one wicket for 12 runs in five overs. She went on to talk about her experiences bowling in close calls and how her captains trusted her because of her hard work.
“I believe that my improvement has merely been in my skill set and consistency. My captains now trust me to deliver in critical situations, whereas previously they may have been uncertain about my abilities due to my uneven play. Although I’ve worked hard at it, I feel like I’ve always been a passable bowler.
“Although I’ve always been an all-around batsman for this team, I never imagined that as an off-spinner I would be delivering the final over in Twenty20 matches, thanks to Alyssa’s ability to get the ball to me at crucial times. To be able to be given that opportunity, I suppose it simply demonstrates the effort and confidence I have placed in my captains,” the 26-year-old said.
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