England keep their slim hopes of avoiding Australia holding onto the urn for a fourth Women’s Ashes in a row alive with a narrow three-run victory in the second T20 at the Oval.
The experienced Ellyse Perry tried her best to get Australia over the line with a well-hit 51, but it was England who beat Australia for the first time since a women’s World Cup warm up match back in February 2020.
Australia went into the game in a dominant position in the Ashes series with four points from the Test match and two from the first T20, knowing a win in South London would have seen them retain the trophy at the earliest opportunity.
England spinner Sarah Glenn, who took two wickets admitted the emotions of the occasion took their toll.
“So many emotions after that win ” she said, “it’s been a long time coming.
“It was just getting over the line and we are really proud.
“We are not looking too far ahead just taking it game by game and we implemented little things in this game, we were really clear about our game plan in the pressure moments.
“We were just really humble as a team tonight and take a lot of confidence from this.
“Australia are top class though and they’ll come back really hard and we’ll talk over the next couple of days about keeping this momentum going”
Having collapsed in their own innings, only for Danni Wyatt to lift her side to a respectable total with 76 from 46 as Australia were set 187 to win, England bowled well to put the pressure back on their opponents.
It was almost a mirror of the first innings, as Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney took the tourists to 49 after five overs, but the captain was out trying to pull a ball and got herself in a tangle as it went straight on into the stumps.
From 59 without loss it was a steady stream of wickets for the England bowlers with Sophie Ecclestone taking her 100th T20 international wicket with a caught and bowled off Ashleigh Gardner.
But, it was a moment of brilliance in the field that shifted the momentum. Charlie Dean had dropped Mooney and from her knees threw to the wicketkeeper’s end, Amy Jones gathered and dived at the stumps to leave Tahlia McGrath short.
Alyssa Healy’s dismissal sparked a batting collapse for Australia— (PA)
There was also a first international wicket for Danielle Gibson and with the ball it was very much a complete performance from England, although not without a moment of controversy.
England thought they had the crucial wicket of Perry for just 17, when they used one of their reviews, DRS showed a spike, and the Australian all-rounder was making her way off the field when the umpire called her back. The noise and pictures were judged not to match up and England were in for a nervy finish.
Perry gave her side a chance going into the final three overs, hitting to all corners, including two massive sixes, as the match and the state of the series went down to the wire.
Sophie Ecclestone shined with the bat and starred with the ball as England defeated Australia— (Action Images via Reuters)
In the first innings, Wyatt led from the front and England were looking comfortable having hit 54-0 in the powerplay.
But it was the wicket of Sophia Dunkley that sparked a collapse with the hosts slipping from 100 for one to 119 for six, losing four wickets in just 13 deliveries.
Yet it was one over, when Megan Schutt was taken for 25 in a partnership between Sophie Ecclestone and Wyatt, that England started to really reach what proved to be a competitive total.
182 was England’s previous highest score against Australia in T20s, but in front of 20,328 fans at the Oval, Heather Knight’s side set what proved to be a match-winning 186 for nine and kept this Ashes series alive.
