The humiliation is completed! Done, and dusted! Australia completed a crushing victory over England, winning the one-off pink-ball Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) by an innings and 122 runs. With this win, the hosts have sealed a historic 16-0 clean sweep over England in the multi-format Ashes series.
This is the first time a team has failed to earn a single point since the Women’s Ashes points system was introduced in 2013. Annabel Sutherland was named Player of the Match for her outstanding 163, while Alana King took home the Player of the Series award after claiming 23 wickets and scoring 37 runs across the series.
Day three started with Beth Mooney unbeaten on 98, and England’s Sophie Ecclestone immediately applied pressure. After a nervy start, Mooney held her nerve and reached her maiden Test century with a couple of runs. She became the first Australian woman and the fourth overall to score a hundred in all three formats. However, Ecclestone soon found her reward, dismissing Tahlia McGrath for 44.
Lauren Filer then struck in the next over to send Kim Garth back, and Ecclestone continued her fine form by removing Alana King for just three. The biggest surprise came when Ellyse Perry walked in at number ten to warm applause, despite struggling with a hip injury. However, England wrapped up the innings quickly, with Filer and Ecclestone taking the last two wickets as Australia were bowled out for 440. Mooney’s 106 had helped the hosts gain a commanding 270-run lead, though they lost their last five wickets for just nine runs.
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In response, England lost Maia Bouchier early for one, bowled by a superb Darcie Brown delivery. England managed to survive the remainder of the session with just one wicket down, but there was controversy when Australian captain Alyssa Healy was informed that ball-tracking and UltraEdge were unavailable due to a technical glitch, preventing a review for LBW.
After the break, Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner spun England into deep trouble, sharing six wickets between them. Gardner struck first, breaking a 71-run stand by dismissing England captain Heather Knight for 32. That triggered a collapse, with England losing five wickets for just 38 runs. King produced a stunning delivery reminiscent of Shane Warne to dismiss Sophia Dunkley, leaving England in disarray.
In the final session, both King and Gardner raced to complete their five-wicket hauls. Ultimately, it was King who got there first, taking her fifth wicket by dismissing Filer, sealing England’s innings at 148 in 68.4 overs.
Brief score: England-W 170/10 & 148/10 lost to Australia-W 440/10 by an innings and 122 runs (Annabel Sutherland 163, Alana King 9/98)
Also Read: Sutherland and Mooney Shine put Aussies on top in Women’s Ashes Test