Australia will need to wait a little longer to retain the women’s Ashes after England claimed a first win over their arch-rivals in three-and-a-half years with a three-run Twenty20 defeat.
Chasing 187 for victory at The Oval in London, Ellyse Perry gave Australia hope with an unbeaten 51 from 27 balls but it came too late as the tourists finished 8-183.
The result marked England’s first win over Australia in any format in 10 games, and the first time any team has beaten them without a super over since September 2021.
It also means the multi-format series is still alive, with England needing to win the last T20 match on Saturday at Lord’s and all three ensuing ODIs to regain the Ashes.
Otherwise, victory for Australia in any of those contests will ensure they retain the trophy.
Alyssa Healy reacts after being dismissed. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
“We’re allowed to lose games of cricket,” Australia’s captain Alyssa Healy said.
“England also came out at the start of the series and said this is their strongest format.
“So you have to think about they will potentially challenge you at some point, and they did tonight.
“It’s the game of cricket, you win some you lose some. Fortunately for us we haven’t lost a lot.
“But we can hopefully learn from the mistakes we have been making and win the next one.”
The result came despite the best efforts of Annabel Sutherland, who took 3-28 to continue her fine series.
A centurion batting at No.8 in the Test match at Trent Bridge last month, Sutherland did the job with the ball on Wednesday.
She first had a charging Alice Capsey caught when making her reach for a bouncer, before getting Heather Knight next delivery with a delivery that took the top of off stump.
Sutherland then got the job done in the field with a superb forward-diving catch in the deep, before taking the key wicket of Danni Wyatt in her next over for 79.
England’s score of 9-186 was their best in T20 cricket against Australia, and could have been far higher if not for Sutherland.
On a big night for the women’s game in England with 20,328 fans in attendance, Wyatt led the way for the hosts against an uncharacteristically sloppy Australia in the field and with the ball.
She dominated in a 57-run opening stand with Sophia Dunkley (23), and helped take 25 off one Megan Schutt over to regain the momentum after Sutherland’s double blow.
Australia’s chase then looked doomed once Healy was bowled for 37 trying to pull Sarah Glenn (2-27) in the seventh over.
Tahlia McGrath (four) was run out in a mix-up with Beth Mooney (22) soon after, as part of a collapse of 4-16.
And when spinner Sophie Ecclestone (2-35) became the fastest woman to reach 100 T20I wickets when she had Asheligh Gardner caught-and-bowled for nine, England were on top.
Perry managed to get the margin down to 31 runs off two overs and 20 off one, before sixes off the final two balls made the scoreline look closer than the game truly was.
© AAP
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