A fresh set of ICC women’s ODI rankings has confirmed what the World Cup scoreboard already hinted: Ashleigh Gardner now sits inside the top three lists for batting, bowling and all-round performance. The 28-year-old is officially the No. 1 all-rounder, the No. 2 batter (trailing only Smriti Mandhana) and the No. 3 bowler, an achievement almost unheard-of in either the men’s or women’s game.
Australia’s unbeaten World Cup run is the bedrock of those numbers. Across four innings Gardner has piled up 265 runs at 88.33, striking at 128, and removed seven batters with her off-spin. Two centuries have done most of the heavy lifting.
First came 115 from 83 balls against New Zealand after Australia had slumped to 128 for 5. Then, chasing 245 versus England, she unfurled an unbeaten 104 from 73 and stitched an unbroken 180-run stand with Annabel Sutherland to finish the job with almost ten overs in hand.
“As a group we talk a lot about owning tricky situations,” Gardner told the host broadcaster after the England win. “When the pressure’s on, my plan is pretty simple: score where I’m strongest and trust the rest will follow.”
The bowlers’ list still belongs to Sophie Ecclestone, but the gap has narrowed. Gardner is third, and sandwiched between them is leg-spinner Alana King, whose World-Cup-record 7 for 18 against South Africa propelled her five spots to a career-best second.
Former Australia captain Mel Jones thinks the figures pass the eye test. “Gardner’s strike-rate while maintaining that average is frightening. Add wickets at key moments and you get an all-timer of a tournament,” Jones said on local radio.
Equally impressed is ICC women’s cricket manager Snehal Pradhan. “Being top three in all three charts demands consistency the numbers rarely capture. She’s scoring quickly, taking wickets, fielding well—there’s no weak thread,” Pradhan noted in the ICC release.
The Australians, already assured of a semi-final place, next face Pakistan. The remaining matches will determine whether Gardner can press past Mandhana for the batting crown or even overhaul Ecclestone at the top of the bowling standings—though Gardner herself was quick to downplay the chase.
“Rankings are lovely, but medals are better,” she smiled in Hamilton. “If the team’s lifting that trophy, I’ll be happy wherever my name sits.”
Key numbers
• 265 runs at 88.33, strike rate 128.01
• Two centuries, both in pressure situations
• Seven wickets at 30.00 with off-spin
• Moved six places to No. 2 among batters
• Retained No. 1 all-rounder tag, No. 3 bowler
With the knockout stage looming, Gardner’s triple-threat form offers Australia a useful buffer against the inevitable nerves of tournament cricket. For now, the numbers simply underline what the eyes already see: an all-rounder performing at the peak of the modern game.
