Ashleigh Gardner has revealed her record-breaking 12 wickets in opposition to England got here whereas battling ligament injury in her spinning finger throughout Australia’s Ashes Test win.
Gardner was the star of Australia’s 89-run victory over England at Trent Bridge, bagging 8-66 within the fourth innings to assist bowl England out for 178 and finish their pursuit of 268.
The haul left her with the all time figures by an Australian girl, and the second better of all time behind Neetu David’s 8-53 for India in opposition to England in 1995.
Gardner’s match figures of 12-165 had been additionally the second greatest in historical past to Shaiza Khan’s 13-226 for Pakistan from 2004, and the perfect of any Australian girl.
But the extra spectacular half was the very fact she did it with issues over her proper index finger.
Gardner was hit on the top of the finger throughout slips apply throughout Australia’s warm-up match in opposition to England A, denying her the possibility to bowl earlier than the Test.
“My finger obviously bent backwards where it’s probably not supposed to. It’s almost stretched that ligament a little bit,” Gardner stated.
“Adrenaline does funny things and I completely forget about it as soon as the ball was in hand.
“So as quickly as I wasn’t bowling (at Trent Bridge), I put a splint straight on it, simply to guard it as a result of within the subject is the place I’m extra prone to get hit.
“It was quite frustrating but because I didn’t get that match practice in before the Test.
“It was about trusting what I’d already achieved, I wasn’t going to lose a ability in a single day. And know my good things was adequate.”
Gardner took all five of England’s remaining wickets on day five to finish off the hosts, ending any chance of the chase and putting Australia in control of the multi-format series.
She also did it off little sleep, after her mind was fixated on finishing off the match.
“I used to be awake at 3am occupied with bowling, which was a bit tragic,” Gardner stated.
“I used to be unsleeping, actually occupied with how I used to be going to get the batters out and I’ve by no means achieved that earlier than.”
Gardner’s performance marked a coming-of-age for her with the ball.
Bowling on a deteriorating day-five pitch for the first time, the 27-year-old took wickets with balls that went straight on, spun sharply, stayed low and reared up.
Once picked as a powerhouse batter, Gardner has now developed into a genuine allrounder and a frontline spinner.
“It has been one thing that I’ve labored actually arduous on,” Gardner stated.
“With each bat and ball, it is about consistency.
“I feel like I can play both roles in attacking and then trying to defend with the ball as well. It’s asking the captain, ‘what do you want me to do?’ at that point in time.
“Today is one thing I’m going to recollect for the remainder of my life, and positively for the remainder of my profession.”
BEST BOWLING INNINGS FIGURES IN WOMEN’S TESTS
Neetu David (India): 8-53 vs England, 1995
Ashleigh Gardner: (Australia): 8-66 vs England, 2023
Mary Duggan (England): 7-6 vs Australia, 1958
BEST BOWLING MATCH FIGURES IN WOMEN’S TEST
Shaiza Khan (Pakistan): 13-226 vs West Indies, 2004
Ashleigh Gardner (Australia) 12-165 vs England, 2023
Betty Wilson (Australia) 11-16 vs England, 1958
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
