Ash Gardner’s fine all-round performance proved the difference as England were beaten by four wickets in the first one-day international of the Women’s Ashes in Sydney.

Gardner took 3-19 as England were bowled out for 204, and then scored an unbeaten 42 to lead Australia to victory with 11.1 overs to spare.

England showed glimpses of promise, and Australia signs of fragility in losing their six wickets, but Heather Knight’s side paid the price for a wasteful batting performance alongside sloppiness in the field which included Sophie Ecclestone dropping Gardner on 31.

The visitors fought admirably with the ball, with fine economical efforts from Lauren Bell and Ecclestone, but Australia were rarely under scoreboard pressure after a batting innings that was littered with soft dismissals.

England were all out in 43.1 overs as captain Knight top-scored with 39, Danni Wyatt-Hodge made a gritty 38 and Amy Jones 31, but all three failed to capitalise on their promising starts.

Having been asked to bat first, England were building a decent position at 91-2, before Australia struck the hammer blow of removing Knight and star all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt in consecutive Gardner overs, both caught slog-sweeping by Ellyse Perry.

Jones looked in fine form in her rebuilding stand of 51 with Wyatt-Hodge, whose knock was an outlier in a tame middle-to-lower order effort with the last five wickets falling for 47 runs.

It was not a faultless bowling performance from the hosts, who conceded 24 extras including a no-ball which gave Maia Bouchier a reprieve when she was bowled in the first over, but England lacked the ruthlessness to punish them.

Similarly in the second innings, Annabel Sutherland’s dismissal for 10 in the 24th over offered another opening at 124-4, but Gardner showed the steel and discipline which England’s batters lacked.

The relentless schedule of the series gives England little time to turn their fortunes around, with the second ODI taking place at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on 13 January (23:05 GMT).

The win gives Australia a 2-0 lead on points in the multi-format series, which England need to win outright in order to regain the Ashes.