Australia bagged two points and is now sitting happily with 6 points in this multi-format Ashes series. If they win the 2nd T20I, then they will remain unbeaten yet again in the Ashes series. Opting to bowl first, Australia kept England on a tight leash. Some unlikely fielding lapses from the Aussies and a blistering knock from Amy Jones took England to a respectable total of 153 which looked a few runs short on this pitch. Australia, in response, lost their skipper Alyssa Healy early on in the innings, and it was again the experienced campaigner Beth Mooney who stepped up and let the power hitters McGrath, Gardner and Sutherland play around her and seal the game for Australia in the second last ball.
Darcie Brown catches Alice Capsey napping
It’s repeatedly said that this Australian team is one of the greatest sports teams. One of the reasons is the presence of mind of the players, which can turn the match on its head. England were one down, having scored 26 runs in 4.5 overs. In the last ball of the 5th over, Brown bowled a full delivery outside off; Capsey made room and cleared her feet to hit the ball but got the toe end of the bat. Brown got to the ball quickly and fired a throw back to the stumps. Capsey turned around and pushed her bat in, but it dug into the track before the popping crease and was off the ground as it crossed the crease. The stumps were broken when Capsey’s bat was in the air, and she had to go back.
Dunkley’s 50 gives England a solid base
Sophia Dunkley has done superbly for England since she started opening the innings for them. Today was no different. Dunkley held her end up and stitched a strong partnership with her captain Heather Knight. Dunkley stayed back in the crease, which gave her enough time to play the field and get to a well-deserved 50. When Dunkley got out, England were 115 in 16.1 overs, and they had a launching pad thanks to her.
Jess Jonassen gets Australia back on track
Jess Jonassen has been one of the key wicket-takers for Australia since her debut. Jonassen was brought into the attack in the 8th over, just when Nat Sciver-Brunt was looking to cut loose, and Jonassen responded by getting her wicket. In the 18th over, when England was looking to push their score higher, Jonassen picked up Gibson and Ecclestone in the first two deliveries and gave away just four runs in that over, thus ensuring that England couldn’t set a huge total.
Amy Jones’ strong finish
England Wicketkeeper Amy Jones played a blinder to take England above 150. She was helped by Georgia Wareham, who dropped her on 15. Jones made Wareham and Australia pay for the drop as she took Meghan Schutt for 18 runs in the 19th over. She ended the innings with a flourish hitting Ashleigh Gardner for a boundary and a six off the last two balls of the England batting innings.
Tahlia McGrath setting up Australia’s chase
McGrath walked in at three as Australia’s stand-in skipper Alyssa Healy got out cheaply. McGrath then went on to charge the English bowlers. She scored a quickfire 40 off 29 balls and provided momentum to the chase.
Beth Mooney’s half century guides Australia
Mooney played second fiddle in her partnership with McGrath. Once McGrath got out, Mooney took charge. She hit two back-to-back boundaries in the next over after McGrath was dismissed. Mooney completed her half-century off 42 balls and was the backbone of the Australian innings as she has been throughout her career. Mooney winning matches for Australia even though she isn’t a power hitter shows the importance of technically strong players in the T20 format.
England leggie Sarah Glenn gives England a sniff
Australia needed 32 off four overs with eight wickets in hand and a settled pair of batters in Gardner and Mooney. Australia were the favourites. Glenn was asked to bowl the 17th over by Heather Knight, and she must have been regretting her decision as Glenn went eight runs in the first three balls of the over. Then the overturned on its head. The next three balls went for 0 runs, and Glenn had not only picked up a dangerous-looking Gardner, but she had also picked up the big hitter Grace Harris for a duck of the first ball that she faced. England were right back into the game.
Leaving Ecclestone too late cost England the match?
Australia needed 16 runs off two overs. It’s generally said that the 19th over is the decider most of the time, and with Sophie Ecclestone having one over up her sleeves, one would think Knight would go to her leading bowler, but that wasn’t to be. Knight went to Lauren, and even though Bell managed to dismiss Perry, she gave away 11 runs in that over, and Australia needed just five runs off the Ecclestone over. Sutherland hit the first ball of Ecclestone’s over for a boundary, and Australian was left to get one run of the remaining five balls. Ecclestone still managed to take the game from 1 off 5 to 1 off two balls before a quick single closed the match out for Australia. Had Knight gone for Ecclestone in the 19th over, she could have made it more difficult for the Aussie batters.