We’ve just completed the first leg of the Women’s Ashes, three one day internationals shared between the Allan Border Oval in Brisbane and the Coffs Harbour International Stadium in, you guessed it, Coffs Harbour.
Kudos, Coffs, for having your optimistic choice to name your stadium an ‘international’ one paid off with an actual international fixture.
Here are the ratings for the ODI leg of the Women’s Ashes.
Scoring systems
Grade: B+
One of the great things about the Women’s Ashes, apart from Australia currently being in possession of them, is the scoring system that covers all three formats of the game.
Three ODIs worth two points each, a Test match worth four points and three T20s also worth two points means that there is a total of sixteen points up for grabs.
Australia therefore seized the opportunity before the series began to select Tahlia McGrath. The youngster immediately channelled her inner namesake and predicted to all who would listen that Australia would win the series 16-0.
Ash Gardner
Grade: A-
The chances of Australia taking even a 2-0 lead after the first ODI seemed in doubt when England reduced Australia to 5/150 after 35 overs in pursuit of 9/228.
A sluggish innings from McGrath didn’t help matters, and saw Australia needing 48 runs from the final 44 balls with just four wickets in hand.
Enter all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who smashed 27 from 18 to put Australia back ahead of the run rate and allow the cool-headed Alex Blackwell to guide the team home with four balls and two wickets to spare.
Will this be Ash’s Ashes? Let’s hope so. For wordplay’s sake, if nothing else.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Replacing Meg Lanning
Grade: C
Gardner’s chances of making the Women’s Ashes her own were curtailed slightly when she was ruled out of the Second ODI with concussion.
Her absence didn’t hinder Australia too much, however, as they put on 6/296 from their fifty overs, a total that was far too many for England, even with the assistance of a hail storm and the ensuing mathematical stylings of Messrs. Duckworth, Lewis and Stern.
Alyssa Healy opened the batting and made 56 (55) to lay the foundation for the innings. Fantastic to see Healy trolling her uncle up in the commentary box by batting as much as possible in ODIs like Adam Gilchrist.
But the true hero of the Australian batting performance was captain Rachael Haynes who made a stunning 89* from just 56 balls. If you’re going to stand in for an injured Meg Lanning, that’s the way to go about it.
Sarah Taylor’s hands
Grade: A+
There were other highlights in the second ODI – Ellyse Perry being ruled out of the bowling attack for bowling two successive high full tosses, a ‘c Healy, b McGrath’ wicket and a Channel Nine promo for the Ashes that was longer than the summer it was promoting, to name but three.
But perhaps the most entertaining thing about the second ODI was yet another glimpse of Sarah Taylor’s hands. Taylor is arguably the best wicket keeper in the world – of either gender – and she demonstrated it yet again with an effortlessly lightning stumping of Perry.
Sarah Taylor’s hands are fast.
Sarah Taylor’s hands are so fast that almost 70 per cent of her stumpings are completed before the ball is even bowled.
Sarah Taylor’s hands are so fast that they were once mistakenly exhibited in London Zoo as a pair of baby cheetahs.
Sarah Taylor’s hands are so fast that they have been cast in the role of The Flash in the upcoming Justice League.
Sarah Taylor’s hands are so fast that they are the only thing in the universe capable of escaping the gravitational pull of a black hole.
Sarah Taylor’s hands. Fast.
Beaming
Grade: D
Gardner returned to replace Kristen Beams for the Third ODI. But that wasn’t the only absence of beams. Perry, for example, stopped bowling head high full tosses. And when one of those fuller balls trapped Lauren Winfield LBW for a duck, the England opener wasn’t exactly beaming with delight either.
A beams crisis!
England beamed a little more, however, when a brilliant batting performance led by their captain Heather Knight saw them post 8/284 from their allotted overs. This was despite another excellent bowling display from Megan Schutt who is the leading wicket-taker in the series. Unsurprising. We all know Schutt gets wickets.
Another frustrating rain delay that put the ‘FFS’ back into Coffs Harbour saw Australia’s target reduced to 278 from fifty overs.
More brilliant top order hitting from Healy set up both Australia’s chase and interesting dinner conversation with husband Mitchell Starc, who was simultaneously destroying South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
“How was your day?”
“Took an 8-fer. Yours?”
“Brilliant stumping, sharp catch and 71 (72).”
“Wonderful. Aioli?”
“Please.”
But despite Australia’s excellent start, England continued to chip away with wickets and eventually held on for a win by 20 runs.
Australia therefore lead the series 4-2, heading into the sole Test match at North Sydney Oval. Who’ll be beaming after that match? Anybody’s guess.
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