Australia have been beaten in back-to-back T20 matches by England, who triumphed at Lord’s to keep the women’s Ashes series alive.
Cheered on by an exuberant 21,610 English bilateral women’s series record crowd, England chased down a rain-adjusted target of 119 in 14 overs with four balls to spare on Saturday.
The result means Australia now hold a 6-4 points advantage, having been 6-0 ahead after winning the Test and opening T20.
However, they only need win one of the three ODI matches that complete the series to retain the Ashes.
Overshadowed by the Ashes big picture, it was world champion Australia’s first T20 bilateral series defeat since 2017.
Sophie Ecclestone runs out Grace Harris. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
“We’ve probably been off our game a little bit in the three T20s, to be fair, even the one we won we didn’t play our best cricket,” said Shelley Nitschke, Australia’s coach.
“It’s a tight turnaround to the ODIs but we’re still alive in the Ashes which is what we came here to win.
“We have to look at our game and cut out those errors that we’re making.”
Australia had posted 7-155 batting first on Saturday.
That target was adjusted after rain took time out of the game during the innings interval.
Danni Whyatt led England’s chase with a 15-ball 26 but she and Sophia Dunkley were dismissed in successive balls with the score on 39.
However, Jess Jonassen, struggling with the wet ball, went for 14 in the sixth over and at 2-57 England were halfway to their target after six overs.
Darcie Brown (1-18 off three overs) pegged them back with a five-run over but teenager Alice Capsey (46 off 22) and veteran Nat Sciver-Brunt (25 off 24) clubbed 68 in 44 balls for the third-wicket.
Superb ground-fielding kept Australia in it but despite Georgia Wareham (1-10 off two) and Jonassen dismissing Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight in three run-less balls England got home.
Put in to bat in the first women’s Ashes T20 to be held at the ground, Australia had struggled to get going but 37 off the last three overs enabled them to post a defendable, if underwhelming score.
Like their men, England’s women struggled to take their chances, dropping five chances, though they were not overly expensive.
Skipper Alyssa Healy hit the first two balls to the boundary but was then dropped before being lbw for 16 in an eventful 10-ball innings.
After Tahlia McGrath (10 off 13) scooped a mis-hit to mid-off, Beth Mooney (32 off 27) and Ash Gardner (32 off 25) attempted to inject acceleration.
But Mooney played on trying to ramp Sciver-Brunt while Gardner was caught by Amy Jones standing up off a bouncer after charging the same bowler.
Ellyse Perry (34 off 25) and Grace Harris (25 off 15) managed to hit and scramble enough in a late flurry to make Australia competitive.
The series now moves to the first of the ODIs at Bristol on Wednesday.
“Getting a series win against Australia is special,” said England’s Lauren Bell. “Now we can push on to the ODIs and keep taking it one game at a time.”
© AAP
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