Ashleigh Gardner records second best spell in women's test match

NOTTIGHAM [UK]: Australian bowler Ashleigh Gardner delivered her best performance, achieving a milestone of second-best bowling returns in the history of a women's test match.

Gardner's eight-wicket haul guided her team to a comfortable victory by 89 runs against the host England in a one-off Ashes test at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Gardner's 8/66 is the best bowling figure of this decade as India's Neetu David who tops the chart with an 8/53 bowling figure, achieved this milestone in 1995 against England in Jamshedpur. England's Mary Duggan placed third with 7/6 against Australia at the St. Kilda CC in 1958 followed by Australian bowler Betty Wilson's 7/7 at the same venue against England in 1958. She is also placed second in the best bowling return in a test match.

She took 12 wickets in the match. Pakistani bowler Shazia Khan leads the list with 13/226 against West Indies in 2004. England started the day's play needing 152 more runs to win the Test having lost all five of their top five players on a disastrous day four. 

Kate Cross was the first to fall, edging behind for 13, and the crucial wicket of Amy Jones - the last known batter - put Australia in command.

In a promising pairing with Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone made Australia fight for the win, reducing the necessary total to two digits.

When Gardner had Ecclestone lbw, it only took Australia two more overs to wrap things up, with Gardner cleaning up Lauren Filer and Wyatt following quickly as she sought to hit out.