Ashleigh Gardner represents Australia’s women’s national cricket team as an allrounder. Additionally, she is a member of New South Wales in the Women’s National Cricket League, the Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, and the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League.
Ashleigh Gardner Bio Summary
Full name: Ashleigh Katherine Gardner
Nickname: Ash, Bushy
Place of birth: Bankstown, Sydney, New South Wales
Date of birth: April 15, 1997
Height: 5 ft 8 in
Eye color: Moss Green
Jersey No: 63
Batting style: Right-handed
Bowling style: Right-arm off-break
Role: Allrounder
Father’s name: Jim Gardner
Mother’s name: Katherine Goodwin
Brother’s name: Aaron Gardner
Sexual orientation: Lesbian
Marital status: Engaged (2024)
Partner: Monica Wright
Zodiac sign: Aries
School: Picnic Point High School, New South Wales, Australia
Profession: Australian cricketer
Early Life
Ashleigh Gardner’s mother, Katherine, was raised in a boarding house in Orange. When Katherine was only five days old, her biological mother passed away. She also lost her adoptive parents at a young age. Because of her mother’s turbulent upbringing, Ashleigh did not learn about her Muruwari heritage until later in life.
As a child, her dream was to become a police officer. Growing up, Gardner was always active and played a variety of sports. She would often play cricket in the backyard with her father, Jim, and older brother, Aaron. Her first club was the Revesby Workers Cricket Club.
Career
Ashleigh Gardner, a skilled middle-order batswoman and off-break bowler, has made a strong impression in her early career.
Gardner’s career took off in 2015. Considered a prodigy, she gained recognition for being the top scorer at Cricket Australia’s under-18 Championships and was named Player of the Series.
She also led her team, New South Wales, to victory. Later, she made history by becoming the first Indigenous woman to be honored with Australia’s highly coveted Lord Taverners Indigenous Player of the Year award.
During the 2016-17 domestic season, she represented NSW Breakers and achieved a total of nine wickets and 98 runs in five matches. As a result, she was selected to play for the Southern Stars in T20I and ODI matches against New Zealand in early 2017.
In 2017, she made history as the first Indigenous Australian woman to compete in a cricket world cup when she was selected for Australia’s team. Throughout the tournament, she took eight wickets in eight matches before Australia was knocked out in the semi-finals.
She played a crucial role in Australia’s World Cup journey and contributed to their Ashes triumph later that year. Additionally, she was the top scorer for Sydney Sixers in the second edition of the WBBL, accumulating 414 runs.
Ashleigh Gardner was one of the top wicket-takers in the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20, claiming ten wickets in just six matches.
In the final against England, she was awarded the Player of the Match title for her impressive performance of 3 for 22 and 32 not out. Thanks to her contributions, Australia secured an eight-wicket win at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Gardner is the third indigenous Australian to have participated in Test cricket. The first indigenous Australian woman to play Test cricket was Faith Thomas, who played in a single Test match in 1958.
The first indigenous Australian man to play Test cricket was Jason Gillespie. Thomas received her Baggy Green cap during the 2019 Ashes series.
Ashleigh Gardner was named Player of the Series as Australia emerged victorious in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, having also been a member of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup squad where Australia secured their seventh title by defeating England in the finals.
Personal Life
Australian cricket star Ashleigh Gardner announced her engagement to her longtime partner Monica Wright on April 19, 2024. Although the couple occasionally posts pictures of their relationship on social media, there is limited information publicly available about Wright.
Gardner took to social media to inform everyone about her upcoming marriage to Wright. She uploaded a collection of pictures, one of which showed the couple exchanging rings. The announcement was met with congratulatory messages from followers soon after its posting.
She posted a picture of the two with the following caption,
“Mrs. Gardner has a nice ring to it.”
Net Worth
Ashleigh Gardner is estimated to have a net worth of around $5 million. Her extensive involvement with the Australian Women’s Cricket Team and multiple league cricket teams has played a significant role in her financial prosperity. Additionally, she acts as a brand representative for numerous companies, adding to her earnings.
