Australia's 'massive issue' ahead of India

Australia’s inaccurate bowling is a "massive issue" five matches into their Women’s World Cup campaign, allrounder Ashleigh Gardner says.

The top-ranked Australians handed England 32 runs through extras in their narrow three-run defeat in Bristol on Sunday – 23 of which came from wides.

And rather than being an aberration, it’s a worrying trend for the tournament favourites.

Despite winning four of their five matches to date, they have handed away 112 runs through extras.

That’s 43 runs more than the next highest team - England (69). At the other end of the scale is India – Australia’s next opponent – who’ve given away just 28 runs in sundries.

Overstepping is not an issue for Australia, who are one of only two teams alongside Pakistan not to have bowled a single no-ball this tournament, but they have given away 74 runs through wides.

"We’ll be staying nice and positive (after Sunday’s loss), but with our bowling the wides are a massive issue at the moment," Gardner said in Bristol on Monday. 

"We’re going to work really hard these couple of days at training and in games to cut down those wides, because there were 23 runs scored extra where we could have won if they weren’t there. 

"So we’re going try and really work on those wides."

Of those 74 runs, 15 came from the bowling of Ellyse Perry, who is followed by fellow pace bowlers Megan Schutt and Elyse Villani, with eight apiece.

Gardner said she couldn’t pinpoint the cause of Australia’s all-round accuracy issues, but was forthright in her assessment of her own bowling.

"I don’t know, to be honest," she said. "I think it’s just our bowlers not being ready.

"For me personally, I bowled two wides (on Sunday) and it was just balls I bowled where I was a little bit lazy, really not finishing off my action. 

"For most bowlers, it’s just a bit of a mind fade I guess. 

"No one wants to bowl a wide and it comes back down to keeping the processes simple when you’re standing at the top of your mark."

While losing to England is never a good thing, Gardner conceded it might have been the loss Australia needed to have as they approach the business end of the tournament.

Quick Single: WWC semi-finals scenarios

It’s left Australia needing to win at least one, and possibly both, of their remaining matches to be sure of a place in the semi-finals, with games to come against fellow finals hopefuls India and South Africa.

"It’s not great coming off a loss, but we did win four in a row so I suppose it was probably bound to happen, for us to lose a game," Gardiner said. 

"It’s probably not a bad time in the tournament to lose a game, leading into our two last round games and heading into the finals is the back end where we want to win games.

"You don’t want to lose but if you go the whole way undefeated, that puts pressure on you. 

"So it’s not a bad thing we did lose at this time in the tournament and it puts us in a good place going ahead."

Australia will be eyeing off wins – preferably big ones – in their remaining two matches. Top spot guarantees a place in the first semi-final in Bristol, where the Southern Stars play four of their group matches. 

The team who wins that semi-final on July 18 will also have the advantage of an extra two day’s rest before the final at Lord’s, whereas the second semi-final, to be contested by the second and third-ranked sides, will be played in Derby on July 20.

"That’s what we need to do, is just win those last two games so we’re a definite in the semi-final," Gardner said.

"If we’re playing really positive cricket over those next two games it’s going to leave us in a good way for the semi-finals and hopefully the final as well."

The last time Australia and India met, it was Mithali Raj’s team who walked away with a five-wicket consolation win in Hobart, with Meg Lanning’s team having already secured a series win.

India have already caused one big upset against tournament hosts England and despite a 115-run loss to South Africa on Saturday, will fancy their chances against the top-ranked Australians.

"We haven’t played India or South Africa and I don’t think we want to take them lightly," Gardner said. 

"The England game is over now so all our focus goes to the India game. 

"We’ll have a meeting after training tomorrow so that’s when we really start to nail our plans to them. 

"We’ll have bowling meetings as well to sort out what we need to do to take wickets against them."

Extras conceded in WWC17

Australia: 112

England: 69

South Africa 51 (four games)

West Indies: 49

Pakistan: 48

New Zealand: 47 (four games)

Sri Lanka: 47

India: 28

Australia: Beth Mooney, Nicole Bolton, Meg Lanning (capt), Elysse Perry, Elyse Vilani, Alex Blackwell, Alyssa Healy (wkt), Jess Jonassen, Ash Gardner, Megan Schutt, Kristen Beams.

England: Tamsin Winfield, Lauren Beaumont, Sarah Taylor (wkt), Heather Knight (capt), Natalie Sciver, Danielle Wyatt, Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Anya Shrubsole, Danielle Hazell, Alex Hartley.

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Australia World Cup squad: Sarah Aley, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell (vc), Nicole Bolton, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning (c), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

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