Australia have been beaten in an ODI series for the first time in a decade, beaten by 69 runs by England in the only blow-out of the women’s Ashes.
Set a revised target of 269 off 44 overs on Tuesday, having initially been asked to make their second-highest successful chase of 286, Australia collapsed after the rain break, crumbling to 199 off 35.3 overs.
Only Ellyse Perry, with 53 off 58 balls, and Ashleigh Gardner with a blazing 41, mustered sustained resistance.
It was Australia’s fourth-biggest loss of all time in terms of runs, their worst since 2008, and England’s biggest win over Australia since their first-ever ODI against them in 1973.
Victory in Southampton on Sunday meant Australia had already retained the Ashes, but they have not achieved their target of winning the series, which was drawn 8-8 on the points format.
England actually won more matches, four to three, taking eight of the last ten points, but Australia won the Test which was worth four points while the six white-ball matches were worth two apiece.
England’s 9-285 was anchored by a second successive century from Nat Sciver-Brunt, who hit 129 off 149 balls as the hosts recovered from a bad start to post their highest ODI score.
Australia have only once chased a higher total to win, but the Somerset ground is a high-scoring venue,
Healy put the hosts in and opened with spinner Gardner, who soon dismissed the out-of-form Sophia Dunkley. More significant was Megan Schutt bowling the in-form Tammy Beaumont cheaply.
That brought England’s most experienced pair, Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt, to the crease. They rebuilt, slowly at first, then accelerated towards a century partnership.
Having put on 147 Knight was bowled by Alana King for a 72-ball 67 and Alice Capsey holed out off Jess Jonassen soon after.
But Sciver-Brunt, who had been dropped by Tahlia McGrath on 54, to a sharp return chance, moved on to a 126-ball century scoring almost exclusively on the leg side. She became the first player to make four centuries against Australia, all scored in her last five Ashes ODIs.
Danni Wyatt (43 off 25) provided strong support but was bowled by the returning Gardner who then caught Sciver-Brunt off Jonassen on the boundary.
Gardner finished with 3-39 off ten overs and Jonassen 3-30 off five as England’s tail wagged limply.
The tourists, who retained the team that won at Southampton, also began slowly, being 2-15 off 13 balls with Phoebe Litchfield (1) caught first slip and Healy (7) bowled.
Perry and McGrath (26) took the score to 68 before the latter was stumped. Beth Mooney joined Perry but nine runs later rain arrived.
When the teams returned Australia needed another 172 runs from 148 balls. Perry soon moved past her half-century, smashing a no-ball free-hit for six but was then caught off a leading edge.
Mooney went soon after (16) but Gardner came in to take the game by the scruff of the neck, smacking sixes square and straight. But then she chanced a second to Wyatt on the boundary, and was run-out for 41 off 24 balls.
England’s fielding has been sloppy all summer but they were finally sharp and Amy Jones pulled off another smart stumping to dismiss Georgia Wareham (14 off nine).
The end came quickly. Annabel Sutherland was bowled for 18, King caught behind for a duck and Jonassen last out for five.
© AAP 2023
