That’s it from me. Thanks for hanging. What a game. If that’s anything to go by this white ball leg of the Women’s Ashes is going to be one to remember.
I’ll leave you with the report from Raf Nicholson who ends with this important reminder: “England go again in the next T20 at The Kia Oval on Wednesday, now needing to win all five of the remaining matches in the series if they are to regain the Ashes.”
Bye…
Finally, here’s the winning captain, Alyssa Healy:
It got tight. We pride ourselves on finding ways of winning games and we found a way there. England bowled pretty well at the back end with some change of pace. Great game of cricket all round and we’re pleased to be on the right end.
Thought it was about par. Winning totals here are high 160s so we thought we bowled well. We thought we let them back in at the end. The wicket looked good and if we played good smart cricket we’’d get the job done.
[Moony] reads the game so well. She knows when to go through the gears and she did that beautifully tonight. Unfortunately not too many of her partners helped her out.
I’m really proud of the girls. I think they did a great job. There are things we can improve on. I think we can be more clinical at the death. We were outstanding with the new ball. We let them back in with our fielding. But we did some amazing things.
The atmosphere here was amazing and hopefully it follows through to The Oval.
Now the losing skipper, Heather Knight:
We’re getting closer. I’m really proud with how we fought back. We showed a lot of fight. Amy Jones got us up to a total that was close to par. It was not quite enough. I’ll be looking over little moments where we might have won. But an awesome game. The atmosphere was amazing. Credit to Australia for getting over the line.
I potentially could have used [Ecclestone] the over before. She bowled outstanding. Sarah Glenn got us back in the game with those two quick wickets after being hit for six.
Spin is one of our strengths. Potentially [we could bring in faster bowlers for the next game].
[Jones’ knock] was special. It got us back in the game. To come in and strike and get us to a total that was competitive, credit to her.
Unfortunately we lost a few wickets in the middle that cost us.
All we’re focussing on is the next game at The Oval.
Here’s the player of the match, and it was always going to be Beth Mooney and her winning 61-not out from the top of the order from 47 balls:
I was on the edge of my seat at the non-striker’s end but I had faith in the girls. We bat pretty deep. It’s a nice luxury to have when the game comes down to the wire.
I think the wicket was pretty good. Probably on the slow side. Maybe we let them get a bit too much but I thought they batted exceptionally well. Perhaps that is something we will look at. We just managed to scrape over the line.
I thought [Ecclestone] changed her pace really well. She’s key to them.
It feels helter-skelter [changing from Test batting to T20 format].
We’re six points up but we know the quality that’s in this England side so there’s no doubt that they’ll come back.
A reminder that this match is part of a wider series. Australia now lead 6-0 after picking up two points here and another four for winning the Test.
Two more T20s to go along with three ODIs.
“What an unbelievable match,” says Mel Jones on Sky.
AUSTRALIA WIN BY 4 WICKETS!
A classic! What an opening to the white ball segment of the Women’s Ashes. Ecclestone roars in frustration after dropping one short to the new batter Wareham who leans back and times a cut shot. It’s well stopped in the covers but Mooney was running as it left the bat and safely makes it home. She played a gem of an innings and ends unbeaten on 61 from 47 balls. What a game of cricket. Reaction to come.
Updated
WICKET! Sutherland c Jones b Ecclestone 9 (Australia 153-6)
I can’t spake! Sutherland tries to mow this short pitched ball towards, well, I’m not sure, anywhere. Instead it’s a top edge and Jones is not going to drop that. 1 still needed from 2 balls. The new batter Georgia Wareham will be on strike. Mooney can only watch and hope.
19.3 overs: Ecclestone’s strong hand means it’s a dot ball. Could have been a catch I think. 1 from 3. Field is up. Anywhere will do for Australia.
19.2 over: Sharp fielding in the coves prevents the single. 1 from 4.
19.1 overs: Sutherland crunches Ecclestone down the ground for four. Staggering cricket shot given the context. One needed now from five balls.
19th over: Australia 149-5 (Mooney 61, Sutherland 5) Bell gets the breakthrough but goes for nine from her final three balls. Mooney closes the over with world class shot down the ground for four.
5 needed from the final Ecclestone over.
A single towards the leg side means its 9 from 7.
Will start doing ball by ball now:
Sutherland heaves Bell for four behind square. 10 needed from 8.
WICKET! Perry b Bell 7 (Australia 140-5)
BELL HAS PERRY! Brilliant, brilliant bowling from the young seamer. A third consecutive slower ball grips in the pitch and sneaks under Perry’s swinging bat and castles the great player. England with a serious shout now. What a game.
18th over: Australia 138-4 (Mooney 56, Perry 6) Davies is back. She’s bowling into the pitch which prevents the Aussies from planting their front foot and giving it a whack, but it does allow them to go back and pick their spot. Perry takes two twos in the deep and a couple of singles. Mooney picks up two singles of her own. Eight off it. Handy from Davies.
16 needed from the final 12 balls.
Updated
17th over: Australia 130-4 (Mooney 54, Perry 0) Is that the over that turns this match? Glenn finishes with 2-33 from her four overs. After getting whacked for a six she continued to get it up there and got her rewards.
24 needed from 18.
WICKET! Harris b Glenn 0 (Australia 130-4)
Two in two! Harris is bowled through the gate first ball. A peach of a delivery. Flighted, drawing out the drive, spinning through the gate. England are fighting back!
WICKET! Gardner c Jones b Glenn 31 (Australia 130-3)
England needed that! Gardner has just clobbered Glenn for six to put Australia within touching distance of victory. But fair play to Glenn. She remained brave and gave her leggie a bit of air. Gardner went for another big one and got a thin edge on it. Jones – who has been outstanding with the gloves – pouches it. England with a sniff.
Mooney reaches 50 with Australia in control
16th over: Australia 122-2 (Mooney 53, Gardner 24) With the final ball of this Bell over, Mooney reaches 50 with a fine tickle down to fine leg. It was a good ball. But Mooney was too good. The ball before Gardner was given a life as she skied one high in the air. Bell called for it but couldn’t reach it. 10 off that over.
32 needed from 24.
15th over: Australia 112-2 (Mooney 47, Gardner 20) Ecclestone returns and Gardner looks to attack from the word go. She’s down the crease and loses her shape as she swipes at a flighted ball. A thick edge saves her from a stumping and also gives her three. Mooney is more circumspect and is happy to look for singles. Ecclestone only gives up three of those. Australia will look to score from the other England bowlers.
42 needed from 30.
14th over: Australia 105-2 (Mooney 45, Gardner 16) Another good over for Australia with eight from it. Mooney guides Gibson past the fielder at short third and takes four off the target. Four singles elsewhere.
48 needed from 36.
13th over: Australia 98-2 (Mooney 39, Gardner 14) Gardner ends this Glenn over with a skip down the crease, a good swing of the limbs and a crack of willow on leather as she sends the bail sailing over wide long on. There were three singles before then so Australia needed that. England need a wicket. This is slipping away from them. Surely Ecclestone has to come back on!
56 needed from 42.
12th over: Australia 89-2 (Mooney 37, Gardner 7) Capsey’s back. Six off this one. Australia being asked to heave over the top with pace off the ball but so far they’re batting within themselves. With wickets in hand they’re not taking the bait just yet.
65 needed from 48.
11th over: Australia 83-2 (Mooney 35, Gardner 3) Davies returns and is spanked for two consecutive fours by Mooney. The second was a real pie down the leg side and the young debutant has to gather herself. That’s exactly what she does and rediscovers her radar, coughing up just two singles from the rest of the over.
Starting the countdown now: Australia need 71 from 54
10th over: Australia 73-2 (Mooney 26, Gardner 2) A typically brilliant over from Ecclestone who nabbed the big wicket of McGrath and then almost had Gardner lbw. Four singles between those balls has helped drag her team back in the contest. She’s the top ranked bowler for a reason and that spin, dip and change of pace throughout showed everyone why she’s the top of the tree.
It’s umpires call! Would have just clipped Gardner’s leg stump. She was down the track and it turned after bouncing. Very close.
Review for lbw. Original decision not out but I think Ecclestone has another one…
WICKET! McGrath st Jones b Ecclestone 40 (Australia 69-2)
The first round in the battle of the world No. 1s went McGrath’s way but Ecclestone has the final say as she drags the Aussie batter out her crease and gets one to zip past the outside edge. Jones behind the stumps has to climb with the sharp bounce and is quick with the gloves to whip off the bails. She’s have a great night. England’s is a lot better now with that breakthrough.
9th over: Australia 69-1 (Mooney 24, McGrath 40) McGrath is in the zone now. She gets inside the line to Glenn’s straight flighted ball, goes down on one knee and times the leather off that slog sweep. Glenn does well to fight back and keeps the rest of the over to just three singles.
8th over: Australia 60-1 (Mooney 23, McGrath 32) There’s a chance for Alice Capsey but Mooney’s gets just enough on it clear the fielder at mid-on and find the boundary. There’s a couple wide of long-off and Mooney keeps the strike with a single to the sweeper at deep extra cover.
7th over: Australia 52-1 (Mooney 18, McGrath 29) Sarah Glenn into the attack but it make no difference to McGrath who leans back and crunches another cut shot for four. Three singles adds to the total. England need to end this partnership quick!
6th over: Australia 45-1 (Mooney 16, McGrath 24) Gibson continues and McGrath starts the over with a thick outside edge for four the screams between Jones with the gloves and Knight at second slip. Two more boundaries – one scythed through the covers and another dabbed to a vacant deep third – has Australia cruising at the end of the powerplay.
5th over: Australia 31-1 (Mooney 15, McGrath 11) We’ve got the number one ranked bowler in Sophie Ecclestone on now and she’s bowling to the top ranked batters in the world. McGrath, first on the ICC’s metrics, is beaten with a ripper than turns sharply from a good length. But she then plays a delicious cut backward of point and an even better lofted cover drive after a little shimmy down the track. Wonderful cricket.
4th over: Australia 22-1 (Mooney 15, McGrath 2) In her first over in international cricket, Gibson lands the ball on a perfect spot and concedes just one run. The run-rate has now dropped below six and the required run-rate is hovering around 8.2. Game on.
3rd over: Australia 21-1 (Mooney 15, McGrath 1) Bell had just delivered the worst ball of the innings – a filthy half tracker that was smacked towards the cover point boundary by Healy. But she gathered herself and got the next one fuller. Healy looked to turn it towards the leg side but closed the face of the bat too early and sent a skier towards Glenn who had plenty of time to think about what she was doing. Fortunately for England, she kept her cool and made a tricky grab look easy.
WICKET! Healy c Glenn b Bell 5 (Australia 20-1)
You could have boiled a kettle in the time it took that ball to explode off Healy’s leading edge and the time it finally nestled in Glenn’s hands at backward point. At least that’s what it felt like after Bell’s fuller delivery around middle and leg found the Aussie skipper’s turning bat and ballooned high into the Birmingham sky.
2nd over: Australia 16-0 (Mooney 15, Healy 1) Freya Davies starts well but a loose delivery on Mooney’s hips from round the wicket is swivelled away for four. She follows that up with a rank full toss around knee height that is smacked to the fence as well. Australia match England’s score after two overs.
1st over: Australia 6-0 (Mooney 4, Healy 1) A lovely cover drive gets Mooney going. Too much width from Bell but some good shape out of the hand early on away from the left hander who swipes at one from the back foot and is lucky not to edge it.
Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy explode out of the gate. Looks like Lauren Bell has the new ball in her hands. Honestly not sure where this goes. I reckon Australia still favourites, but 60-40. Nothing more.
So, what do we reckon? Have England got enough?
England post 153-7
A game changing innings from Amy Jones! She heaves the final ball for six as Gardner drops it short. The ball before was swatted away past point for four and Jones ends with 40 from just 21 balls. Is that enough? It just might be. Dunkley might have score more runs but there is no doubt that Jones’ knock is the standout on that scorecard. Outstanding hitting.
19th over: England 140-7 (Jones 29, Glenn 3) That is the over England desperately needed and they can thank Amy Jones for it. 18 runs, including one mighty six over midwicket and two boundaries lofted over the covers means England inch towards a score they can be proud of. Jones has some luck as she’s put down in the deep, but that’s what happens when you fight back with some guts. Brilliant from Jones.
18th over: England 122-7 (Jones 11, Glenn 3) A double strike from Jonassen has derailed England’s push to a defendable target. There’s almost a run-out from the final ball. A better throw and/or pick up from Healy would have ended Glenn’s brief stay.
WICKET! Ecclestone c Healy b Jonassen 0 (England 118-7)
Jonassen is on a hat-trick! It’s a brilliant take behind the stumps from Healy who moves with the ball as it skids past Eccelstone down the leg side but not before catching the smallest tickle of the bat. Excellent keeping.
WICKET! Gibson c Schutt b Jonassen 1 (England 118-6)
England are capitulating. Gibson takes a swipe at this flatter ball from Jonassen but can’t generate power as she fails to free her arms. It loops towards Schutt in the covers who takes a simple catch.
17th over: England 118-5 (Jones 10, GIbson 1) Very good from Schutt who will leave here with both openers’ wickets. There’s almost a leg side stumping as well as Australia turn the screw.
WICKET! Dunkley c Brown b Schutt 56 (England 115-5)
England in big trouble now! Brown wasn’t putting this dolly down. Dunkley goes for a heave across the line to the returning Schutt and can only meet it with the edge of her wafting blade. It squirt to Brown saving one in the gully region. A handy knock that gives her team a sniff. But you fear whatever they get from here won’t be enough.
Updated
16th over: England 115-4 (Dunkley 56, Jones 8) Jones is given out lbw but is saved after a review shows she got a little clip on it. That was from an attempted sweep off Jonassen’s left arm spin. Earlier in the over Jones caught all of one from a reverse scoop that found the boundary.
15th over: England 107-4 (Dunkley 55, Jones 1) It was looking so good when Knight shimmied across her stumps, got down on one knee and lifted a sweep for four to fine leg. Before that Dunkley’s two over cover brought up the 100 and a single to deep square raised the 50 partnership. But McGrath, into the attack, snaffled the big wicket of the England skipper with a clever slower ball.
WICKET! Knight c Sutherland b McGrath 29 (England 106-4)
Slower ball, toe-end of the bat, simple catch in the deep and England lose their captain. She had no choice, really, did Knight. And having just played a great shot towards fine leg for four, she was clearly seeing it well enough. But the change of pace ends her handy cameo.
Updated
14th over: England 98-3 (Dunkley 52, Knight 25) Jonassen back on. Spin into the wicket and England can only manage a single off each ball. Good set from the Aussie.
Dunkley reaches 50 off 42 balls
A very important knock that’s held this innings together. Bat on Soph!
Updated
13th over: England 93-2 (Dunkley 49, Knight 23) You have to go watch this comical bit of fielding to end the over. Sutherland digs one in to Dunkley who catches a top edge that flies down to Brown at deep third. It’s short but kicks off the grass and spins away. Brown has to dive to reach it but can only parry it towards the rope for four. Sutherland is not impressed as she was keeping things tight before with only three singles off the over. England upping the rate – these last five overs have gone for 41.
12th over: England 85-3 (Dunkley 44, Knight 20) BOOM! That’s more like it. Knight down the track clobbers Wareham over her head for six to start the over. She then carves a gorgeous drive through the covers for four. She keeps the strike with a second single of the over. Dunkley’s one in the deep on the leg side means England register their most lucrative over of the innings.
11th over: England 72-3 (Dunkley 43, Knight 9) Annabel Sutherland joins the party. She’s seam up, hitting a good length, angling in to the right handers who can’t quite get a full swing at it. It’s tidy stuff. Just four singles and leg-bye.
10th over: England 67-3 (Dunkley 41, Knight 7) Wareham’s leg spin enters the scene and she starts with a rank half-tracker that’s given the appropriate business by Dunkley. That swivelled pull from the front foot takes her into the 40s. A leg side wide and four singles means it’s a leaky start for the leggie who couldn’t quite find her range.
Half way through. I said 160 was a winnable score. England would take 140 from here but will have to do some serious batting to get there.
9th over: England 58-3 (Dunkley 35, Knight 5). That’s a decent spell from Brown who finishes with 0-25 from her four overs. Knight’s cute paddle-chip gets her four but a searing bouncer almost takes Dunkley’s head off. Three singles elsewhere. England need to up the tempo.
8th over: England 51-3 (Dunkley 33, Knight 0) Sciver-Brunt had just reverse scooped Jonassen for four but played an ugly hack as she charged down prematurely. A captain’s knock is now needed from Knight.
WICKET! Sciver-Brunt c Wareham b Jonassen 7 (England 51-3)
A wicket from nothing! Sciver-Brunt was just getting going but she’s got to get going to the pavilion after picking out the sweeper at deep midwicket. She came down the track early and Jonassen held the ball back slightly. That meant Sciver-Brunt didn’t get all of it and Wareham, running in from the rope, does well to grab a low catch.
Updated
7th over: England 44-2 (Dunkley 30, Sciver-Brunt 3) Dunkley muscles a length ball from Brown to cow corner for four. She then gets a flying edge that almost carries to Wareham at deep third. It’s short, but not by much. Sciver-Brunt plays the classiest shot of the game so far with an effortlessly fluid drive. It’s only worth one but underlines just how important her contribution will be. Dunkley is struggling with her timing but she’s ticking along and will keep the strike thanks to a clubbed single to long-on.
6th over: England 36-2 (Dunkley 24, Sciver-Brunt 1) Gardner drags two balls down and Dunkley whacks them both for four behind square on the leg side. A quick single has the new batter Sciver-Brunt diving to maker her crease. End of the powerplay. Australia definitely the happier of the two camps.
WICKET! Capsey run-out Brown 3 (England 26-2)
What a brilliant piece of fielding! But so unlucky for Capsey. A full ball is bunted back to Brown who gathers on the follow through, pirouettes and shies at the stumps. Capsey turns round to ground her bat in her crease but her blade bounces up off the hard pitch as she does so. When the ball makes contact with the wickets her bat is in the air so she has to go. Australia well on top here.
Updated
5th over: England 26-1 (Dunkley 15, Capsey 3) A change of ends for Brown who has some extra zip and whizzes a bouncer past Dunkley’s helmet. She then goes for the yorker and Dunkley reads her, shifting across her stumps as she ramps to fine leg. It’s only worth one but looked good. Brown goes back of a length to Capsey and keeps her quiet. Now then, is that a run out….?
4th over: England 24-1 (Dunkley 14, Capsey 2) Ash Gardner – fresh from a 12 wicket haul in the one-off Test – is into the attack. She’s on the money immediately as you’d expect. Lovely mix of one tossed up and another pushed through. Four from that set.
3rd over: England 20-1 (Dunkley 12, Capsey 0) Wyatt goes from the final ball. A top over from Schutt who had Healy up to the stumps.
WICKET! Wyatt b Schutt 7 (England 20-1)
Schutt goes cross-seam and Wyatt goes for a booming drive. But it kicks on off the deck and takes the off-stump. Looks a loose shot, and maybe it was, but that’s some lovely areas from the Aussie who gets the breakthrough.
Updated
2nd over: England 16-0 (Dunkley 10, Wyatt 6) Darcie Brown from the other end and she bowls Wyatt with her first ball! Rather, she clipped Wyatt’s off-stump but the bail stayed put. A remarkable moment that had the Aussies appealing for a caught behind. Some great shape away and handy pace to the right hander so there’s a slip in place. Wyatt flashes at a wider one and gets four up and over backward point. Some sharp running means they steal another four so that’s eight off that over as well.
Wicketkeeper debate? No that is familiar:
“Is there no other option in the whole of England for the wicket keeper position. Amy Jones is a good keeper but her batting is so hit and miss. She rarely makes a big score yet is assured of the gloves no matter what her form is. There needs to be competition in this England team so that players don’t feel it’s harder to get out of the team than in the team. Especially for all the young players out there.”
Time will tell David H. Time will tell.
1st over: England 8-0 (Dunkley 7, Wyatt 1) There’s no close catchers to start which is perhaps revealing of Australia’s tactics. They’re out to contain the free flowing England run getters. Dunkley gets off the mark with a bunt to mid-on and Wyatt does the same with a scampered single short of backward point. Some swing for Schutt but it’s from the hand so Dunkley can trust her drive and gets two through the covers before finding the boundary with the final ball. Eight from it. Good start for England.
England need to win five of the six white ball games to win the Ashes. Wyatt and Dunkley walk to the middle flanked by flamethrowers. A ring field for Schutt. Here we go!
Five minutes to go. Looks like the men’s game is meandering to the close of play. Tell your mates to park that for the night and come join us here.
Pitch looks good on the telly. Australia have some bowlers with serious wheels. England need a strong start. Big game for the returning Alice Capsey at No 3. She’s such an outrageous talent. If she gets going England could post anything north of 160.
Updated
Just been reminded by the Sky feed that this is the venue where Australia claimed gold in the Commonwealth Games last year. They’re also the current holders of the T20 World Cup and the 50 over World Cup. They’re a serious outfit. Certainly a contender for the best cricket side of all time – men or women.
Three changes for Australia from Test side
Grace Harris is one of them. She’s been smoking them in the nets and will also offer some handy overs. Megan Schutt provides genuine swing and Georgia Wareham will give it a tweak.
Australia: Mooney, Healy (c, wk), McGrath, Gardner, Perry, Harris, Sutherland, Wareham, Jonassen, Schutt, Brown.
Updated
Gibson makes her debut
What a moment for the 22-year-old. She slots into the lower order of a strong batting unit. Still no Issy Wong though.
England: Dunkley, Wyatt, Capsey, Sciver-Brunt, Knight (c), Jones (wk), Gibson, Ecclestone, Glenn, Davies, Bell
We lose the toss and are having a bat.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 1, 2023
Dani Gibson makes her England debut! 🏴
Come on England! 🤝#EnglandCricket #Ashes pic.twitter.com/zkYTp7bzZw
Australia win toss, bowl first
England need to win this one if they have any hope of securing the Ashes. It’s handy batting first here where the average score is 151. Anything north of that should be defendable.
Of course, cricket in England does have a problem with diversity and Heather Knight, the champion captain of the women’s team, has called for a swift recalibration.
Raf Nicholson reports:
And they said cricket in England has a problem with equality?
Really kind of the men's team to try to be all out in time for the start of the women's T20. You've got about 40 minutes remaining lads 👍
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) July 1, 2023
Yup….
Looks like Fran Wilson is presenting Dani Gibson with her debut cap. pic.twitter.com/ZK5nAfuP6W
— CRICKETher 🏏 (@crickether) July 1, 2023
Word on the street (Cricinfo) is that Gibson will make her debut.
Tanya Aldred was on hand to hear from coach Jon Lewis who had some complimentary words for the 22-year-old:
We should get a sight of Issy Wong steaming in. She missed out on the Test in place of Lauren Flier, who will take a breather today. Dannielle Gibson could feature after being called up to the T20 squad for England. The double-centurion, Tammy Beaumont, isn’t part of the group.
Preamble
Howdy cricket folk and welcome to the second match of this multi-format Ashes series. The Aussies wrapped up the one-off Test with an 89-run win on the fifth and final day to claim four points. From here on out, each of the three T20s and ODIs will be worth two points (or a point each for a draw or tie). That means England are playing catch up.
We’re expecting a good crowd at Edgbaston this evening but we’re also expecting another victory for these all-conquering Australians. Their win probability is hovering just under 70%.
But that’s a result of maths and number crunching. This is elite sport. This is national pride. This is the Ashes. Anything could happen and I’ll be your guide throughout.
Play starts at 6:35pm BST/3:35am AEST. Toss and teams to come.
