Australian Ash Gardner opens up on stunning World Cup catch

Ash Gardner’s epic outfield catch at the World Cup has gone viral and she said she was lucky to hold it.

The stunning outfield catch Ash Gardner took against South Africa was rated just a “grade one” by her teammates so high are the standards of the unbeaten World Cup favourites as they search for the ”perfect game”.

Memes flooded the internet after Gardner’s one-hander which the all-rounder said earned a higher rating from her coaches than her hard-marking teammates who thought she put a “bit of mayo” on the stretching grab in Wellington on Tuesday.

“Apparently it’s a grade one, which for our team in terms of KPIs it should have been taken no matter where you were,” Gardner said.

“We always speak about being off the boundary... I was in a little bit then I went at the ball before realising it was going to be coming exactly where I was standing originally. Then I happened to stick out one hand.

“Those ones either stick of they don’t. I would have been pretty disappointed if I dropped it knowing I had been off the rope. I guess it looks good.

“Standards are high. It was a grade one according to all the players, but the coaches gave it a grade two.

“We are all our harshest critics and we want to chase those perfect executions. If I look back I would have preferred to use both hands.”

Ash Gardner MJ
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Clutch GOAT pic.twitter.com/ymMXIFTSYl

— Brandon (@BrandonMcKay6) March 22, 2022

Next stop Paris 2024? pic.twitter.com/ob3sMmACEP

— jonnyforeigner (@j_foreigner) March 22, 2022

Creation of iconic catch https://t.co/V4Pv315zf9pic.twitter.com/y9Bak6nHju

— anbarasu (@anbarasu__) March 22, 2022

Those unrelenting high standards have driven the Aussies, who are now odds-on favourites to win the tournament, to an unbeaten run which has included two record run-chases in the past two matches, wins over World Cup heavyweights India then South Africa.

Gardner referred to the search for a “perfect game” more than once, noting one thing the Australians haven’t done is taken all 10 opposition wickets more than twice in the six-games so far.

“We‘re always striving to take 10 wickets,” she said.

“One of our KPIs is to take 10 wickets ... obviously we haven’t done that as well as we would have liked.”

Australia has one final chance in the last pool game against Bangladesh on Friday before the semi-finals.

The availability of veteran all-rounder Ellyse Perry reminds unknown after she was unable to bat against South Africa because of a back injury.

“We’ll manage her over the next few days,“ Australian captain Meg Lanning said

“Whether she‘s available for the next game I’m not too sure but we need to have her for that semi-final and hopefully final.”

That semi-final, or hopefully for the final, could be the perfect place for the Australians to unleash the perfect game Gardner said they are always building towards.

“I feel like we are always chasing that perfect performance and we are yet to achieve that which is really exciting,” she said.

“We have shown some really good glimpses with both bat and ball, and in the field

“We always want to get better, as individuals and as a team., for us to go undefeated is something we really want to do to take the momentum in to the semi finals.”

Originally published as Australian Ash Gardner opens up on stunning World Cup catch