The tour of the Caribbean has been a mixed one for Gardner personally, with the all-rounder sitting out two matches of the T20I series due to a hamstring concern prior to some excellent efforts with the ball during the opening two 50-over contests.
The contests have also provided Gardner the perfect opportunity to gel alongside new skipper Sophie Molineux in her role as vice-captain and the 28-year-old said it had been a major positive for both her individually and her Australian teammates.
“It’s been really good obviously working under Soph for the first time,” Gardner noted.
“It has been a lot of fun she brings a lot of fun to this group and a lot of energy which is really cool to see.
“I think if you know Soph you obviously know the enjoyment that she has off the field and she certainly brought that into her leadership as well with a lot of care about her teammates.
“Going forward we want to make sure that we work together as well as possible there’s been a lot of change whether that’s players or staff members and just trying to I guess nut out what we want to do as a leadership group and then have the most influence over the whole playing squad so it’s exciting to see where this group can go.”
The ODI matches in the Caribbean form part of the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship for both sides, with Australia unbeaten in the competition so far this cycle courtesy of their two victories over the West Indies.
Series schedule:
First T20I: St Vincent, Australia won by 43 runs
Second T20I: St Vincent, Australia won by 17 runs
Third T20I: St Vincent, Australia won by 40 runs
First ODI: St Kitts, Australia won by 103 runs
Second ODI: St Kitts, Australia won by 90 runs
Third ODI: St Kitts, Thursday April 2
