Australia retained the Women’s Ashes with an exhilarating three-run win over England within the second one-day worldwide at Southampton regardless of an unbeaten hundred from dwelling batter Nat Sciver-Brunt.
England, set 283 to win, completed agonisingly quick on 279-7 when, with 5 wanted for victory off the final ball, Sciver-Brunt may solely handle a single in opposition to Jess Jonassen to be 111 not out.
Victory gave double white-ball world champions Australia an unassailable 8-6 factors lead within the multi-format sequence. The most England can now hope for is to finish all sq. at 8-8 by profitable the third and last ODI in Taunton on Tuesday.
But even when the sequence is shared, holders Australia will nonetheless retain the Ashes. Key to Sunday’s success was the final over of their innings when Georgia Wareham smashed 26 runs off England fast Lauren Bell.
“We still haven’t played our best cricket yet, which is a little bit scary at times, but we’re obviously really chuffed,” stated Australia captain Alyssa Healy.
The wicketkeeper, main the aspect after common skipper Meg Lanning was dominated out of the tour on medical grounds, added: “We came here to win the Ashes and we’ve retained them.
“There’s still one game to go so we’re really looking forward to putting our best foot forward again.”
England skipper Heather Knight stated: “How Nat played to get so close was brilliant … We’re disappointed. The way we’ve fought back, we thought we had momentum and we had belief we can win.”
Australia, victorious within the lone Test of the Ashes, had been 6-0 forward earlier than England rallied with three wins in a row — taking two of the three Twenty20s and the primary ODI — to stage the sequence at 6-6.
But Sunday’s defeat left England nonetheless searching for their first Ashes sequence win since 2014.
Australia, despatched into bat, made 282-7 with star all-rounder Ellyse Perry making 91 and Annabel Sutherland a fair 50 earlier than Wareham’s last-over assault, that included three sixes, noticed her end unbeaten on 37.
Tammy Beaumont obtained England’s chase off to a powerful begin with 60 however recalled Australia leg-spinner Alana King, the participant of the match, took 3-44 from her most 10 overs.
Sciver-Brunt saved England’s slim hopes alive however a goal of 15 runs from skilled left-arm spinner’s Jonassen’s last over was simply an excessive amount of for the all-rounder.
Australia have been faltering at 158-5 earlier than Sutherland helped Perry add 81 for the sixth wicket.
Sophie Ecclestone ensured there can be no hundred for Perry, dropped twice, after which eliminated Sutherland, with each batters caught on the boundary.
England, nonetheless, nonetheless confronted one other file ODI chase, after reaching the identical feat in Bristol on Wednesday.
King captured the prize wicket of Knight, sad at being given out lbw for 12, after which bowled the fluent Beaumont with a well-spun supply as England slumped from 107-2 to 144-5.
Sciver-Brunt’s wonderful 93-ball hundred, together with 9 fours, ensured a tense end however her try to win the sport with a last-ball six solely went for one.
Originally printed as Australia retain Women’s Ashes after three-run ODI thriller that includes Nat Sciver-Brunt century
Source: www.news.com.au
