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Ashleigh Gardner Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth15 April 1997

Age28 Years

BirthplaceKogarah, New South Wales, Australia

ProfessionCricketer (Allrounder)

NationalityAustralian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseMonica Wright

FamilyMother: Katherine; Father: Jim Gardner; Brother: Aaron Gardner

Ashleigh Gardner Biography

Ashleigh Katherine Gardner is an Australian international cricketer from Kogarah, Sydney. An allrounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off-spin,

Early life and background

Ashleigh Katherine Gardner was born on 15 April 1997 in Kogarah, a suburb in southern Sydney, New South Wales. She grew up in Sydney and attended Picnic Point High School. Gardner is an Aboriginal Australian; her mother, Katherine, is Muruwari from north‑western New South Wales. She played junior cricket for Revesby Workers Cricket Club and was athletic throughout her childhood, often playing backyard cricket with her father, Jim, and her older brother, Aaron.

At 17 Gardner received her first state contract while completing her Higher School Certificate, and a strong showing in the 2014–15 Imparja Cup helped launch her rise through state and domestic ranks.

Career

Gardner is an allrounder: a right‑handed batter who bowls right‑arm off‑spin. She made her international T20 debut for Australia on 17 February 2017 against New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and her ODI debut on 2 March 2017 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Her Test debut came on 18 July 2019 against England at the County Ground, Taunton during the 2019 Women’s Ashes.

At domestic level Gardner has represented New South Wales (2015–2017, 2018–present) and the Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League since the competition’s inaugural season in 2015. Her early franchise and domestic experience also includes short stints with Northern Districts in New Zealand (2015–16) and South Australia (2017–18). In 2023 she played for the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League.

Gardner’s WBBL career has featured match‑winning batting performances and memorable innings. In WBBL|03 she recorded an exceptional century, scoring 114 off 52 balls at North Sydney Oval, and was Player of the Match as the Sydney Sixers won that season’s title. She was named the Young Gun of WBBL|02 and later became the first former Young Gun to be named Player of the Tournament in WBBL|08.

Internationally, Gardner has been part of multiple major tournament wins for Australia. She was a member of Australia squads that won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018 and 2020, the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2022, and the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2022. In the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 she finished among the tournament’s leading wicket‑takers and was Player of the Match in the final after contributing with both bat and ball. She was also named Player of the Series when Australia won the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Gardner has produced notable individual milestones: she hit the first scoring shot in international matches across all three formats with a six, became one of the earliest Indigenous Australians to play Test cricket, received her Baggy Green during the 2019 Ashes, and recorded a T20I high score of 93 off 57 balls in a Tri‑Nation Series match against India in February 2020. Her Test record also includes a maiden half‑century in a drawn match against India during the 2021/22 tour.

Across domestic and international cricket Gardner has contributed in championship matches as both batter and bowler. She was part of New South Wales squads that won the Women’s National Cricket League in 2016–17 and 2018–19 and has been a member of WBBL title winning teams with the Sydney Sixers.

Public profile

Gardner is known for her energetic on-field style and for representing Aboriginal Australians in elite cricket. She is active beyond the crease: during the 2020 COVID‑19 lockdown she developed a hobby in dot painting and has produced commissions for teammates and other athletes. She founded the Ashleigh Gardner Foundation, which is focused on supporting Aboriginal children in sport, education and lifestyle.

Her playing jersey numbers include 63 for Australia and number 6 for the Sydney Sixers. Her listed height is approximately 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), with moss green eyes and blonde hair. Personal interests mentioned in interviews include a hypothetical early interest in becoming a police officer or, alternatively, a firefighter if she had not pursued professional sport.

Latest updates

Gardner remained an influential member of Australia’s white‑ball squads through recent global tournaments, contributing with both bat and ball to title wins and series triumphs. She was married on 6 April 2025 and is publicly identified as lesbian. She continues to play domestically for New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers and took part in the Women’s Premier League in 2023.

Her career honors include multiple team championships—the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (2018, 2020), the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (2022), and the Commonwealth Games gold medal (2022)—and individual awards such as ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Player of the Final (2018), the Belinda Clark Award (2022), WBBL Player of the Tournament (2022–23), the WBBL Young Gun Award (2016–17), and ICC Women’s Player of the Month for December 2022.
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Recent Work

Player of the Series, 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

Named Player of the Series as Australia won the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

2023
Gujarat Giants (WPL)

Played for the Gujarat Giants franchise in the Women’s Premier League.

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. ICC Women’s T20 World Cup champion (2018, 2020)
  2. ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Player of the Final (2018)
  3. Women’s Cricket World Cup champion (2022)
  4. Commonwealth Games gold medalist (2022)
  5. Belinda Clark Award winner (2022)
  6. WBBL Player of the Tournament (2022–23)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ashleigh Gardner born?

15 April 1997

What is Ashleigh Gardner known for?

Cricketer (Allrounder)

What is Ashleigh Gardner’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ashleigh Gardner married to?

Monica Wright