The International Cricket Council’s press release could not have been better timed: it landed at 3pm on Tuesday, midway through England’s innings at Taunton, proclaiming that (for the first time since September 2022) Nat Sciver-Brunt was sitting back atop the list of the world’s one-day international all-rounders.
Twenty minutes later, she brought up her second century in three days, and her fourth in her past five ODI innings against Australia. No other woman has scored more tons against them. The crucial difference from the preceding three was that, at last, this one came in a winning cause, as England bowled Australia out for 199 to secure a thumping 69-run victory via the DLS method.
