Allrounder Gardner was the model of control as she extricated Alyssa Healy's side from a nervy spot in Wednesday's opener, becoming the first Indigenous player to hit a century for Australia in any 50-over World Cup while also recording the highest innings by any woman coming in at No.6 or below in an ODI.
Gardner reckoned she'd thrived on the pressure as she smacked 115 off 83 balls to help lead Australia, after they had decided to bat, from a precarious 4-113 to their record ODI tally against New Zealand of 326 all out of 49.3 overs.
It proved far too much for the White Ferns, despite a defiant 111 off 112 balls from their illustrious captain Sophie Devine, as they eventually succumbed for 237 off 43.2 overs, their 16th consecutive ODI defeat by Australia.
Spinner Sophie Molineux was superb on her return following a long injury absence, taking 3-25, and Annabel Sutherland, finally bowling Devine amid a burst of three wickets in four balls, proved Australia's ruthless finisher.
"It was really special," enthused Gardner. "I kind of love coming in those pressure situations. I just try to take the game on, play the way that I do and then, hopefully, the success comes with it."
It was a day that demonstrated again the enviable strength in depth of Australia's batting riches, with No.9 Kim Garth hammering 38 off 37 balls to even eclipse Gardner in a 69-run eighth-wicket partnership.
"We bat, genuinely, all the way down, so we have that freedom to play and that confidence within our group that even if we are five-down-for-not-too-many, we have the players to come in and change the game," said Gardner.
This time, she herself was the game-changer, hitting her century off 77 balls - the third fastest in the competition's annals - without ever looking to take too many risks.Â
In all, she struck 16 fours and a six after some of her illustrious colleagues like Healy (19 off 17), Ellyse Perry (33 off 41) and Beth Mooney (12 off 21) failed to kick on.
Phoebe Litchfield also dazzled, racing past 1000 ODI runs and cracking 45 off 31 balls, including a couple of powerful sixes, before being undone by Amelia Kerr's first ball, a beauty of a googly that ripped past the left-hander and clipped her offstump.
It was a fitting way for Kerr (2-54) to celebrate her 100th ODI wicket and, along with teammate Lea Tahuhu (3-42), she gave New Zealand real hope until Gardner began the repair job in a 64-run stand with Tahlia McGrath and a 48-run partnership with Molineux (14 off 19).
New Zealand's start was calamitous, with sharp work from Sutherland running out opener Georgia Plimmer for a diamond duck before Molineux, in her first full international since her knee operation in January, bowled Suzie Bates for nought too for her first World Cup wicket.
The 36-year-old Devine played an heroic lone hand, getting to 100 off 107 balls, her ninth ODI hundred, but as the required rate crept up, it always looked mission impossible for the veteran who struck 12 fours and three sixes.
At the start of the 43rd over, she swung a mite wearily across the line to be clean bowled by a slower one from Sutherland, who then also got rid of Jess Kerr and Eden Carson in successive balls for the decisive triple-wicket maiden.
Alana King's (2-44) legspin also proved important as she snuffed out the threat of Kerr (33 off 56) and Brooke Halliday (28 off 38).
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