Allrounder closing on a return, as Australia selectors mull their best combination to take on the Netherlands in Southampton
Australia are waiting to make a call on Ashleigh Gardner’s availability for Saturday’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Southampton, after the allrounder made a promising return to training on the eve of the match.
Gardner, who missed Wednesday’s win over Bangladesh in Leeds with a sprained ankle, trained strongly at The Rose Bowl’s nursery ground on Friday, put through her paces with bat and ball.
Medical staff were set to assess how the 29-year-old pulled up from the session before making a call on whether she would return to take on the Dutch.
Skipper Sophie Molineux said following Wednesday’s game that Gardner had not been far off a return, with Australia confident her stint on the sidelines would be brief.
Addressing media on Friday, allrounder Ellyse Perry confirmed Gardner was “tracking really well”.
“I think she got through what she needed to today, so at this stage it looks good,” Perry said.
“But I’m sure there’ll be a few more things to assess before tomorrow’s match.”
Phoebe Litchfield also trained lightly on Friday after being sidelined by an acute quad injury, but the batter is not expected to be available before Australia’s blockbuster showdown against India at Lord’s on June 28.
If Gardner does return on Saturday, Australia will need to weigh up whether Grace Harris makes way, having come into the side at No.4 with both Gardner and Litchfield missing against Bangladesh, or keep Harris in the side and leave out an allrounder or bowler.
A Gardner return could see them fielding a four-strong spin attack for the second time this tournament, an unusual situation for Australia but one they may be tempted by, given Alana King’s player-of-the-match heroics in Southampton during an Ashes ODI in 2023.
There, the leg-spinner took 3-44 as Australia clung on for a three-run win to retain the Ashes, in a game where Gardner also bagged three and Wareham was miserly.
Perry top-scored in that match with 91 and having returned to the Rose Bowl last English summer for a county stint with Hampshire, has no shortage of fond memories at the ground.
“I think it’s just a really great ground to play at,” Perry said.
“There’s some really nice atmosphere when the crowd rolls in.
“It’s a great ground for batting, but equally gets a good purchase off the wicket from a bowling perspective.
“It runs fast on a sunny day, it’s lovely to be out there, so I think everyone’s excited for this one.
“We’ve had some really great matches here over the years, so it’s always nice coming back.”
Litchfield’s injury was a curveball for Australia’s back-up wicketkeeper plans for the tournament, after they opted against naming a second full-time ‘keeper in their 15-player squad alongside Beth Mooney.
NSW’s Tahlia Wilson is travelling with the squad as a reserve, but could only be called in if another player was ruled out of the tournament entirely.
Litchfield was viewed as the stop-gap solution in the event Mooney was temporarily incapacitated, but with the 23-year-old currently sidelined, Georgia Voll had a brief session with the gloves on Friday.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham. Travelling reserve: Tahlia Wilson
Australia’s Group 1 fixtures
June 13: beat South Africa by 65 runs
June 17: beat Bangladesh by nine wickets
June 20: v Netherlands, Rose Bowl, Hampshire, 7:30pm AEST
June 24: v Pakistan, Headingley, Leeds, 3:30am AEST
June 28: v India, Lord’s, London, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 1: The Oval, London, June 30, 11:30pm AEST
Semi-final 2: The Oval, London, July 2 (3:30am July 3 AEST)
Final: Lord’s, London, July 5, 11:30pm AEST
Click here for the full tournament schedule
All matches will be broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video
