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England wasted a golden opportunity to level the Women’s Ashes as they failed to chase 181 for victory in a nail-biting finish at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.With one wicket remaining, England needed 22 runs to win from the final two overs when Lauren Bell was bowled by Megan Schutt for one, completing a collapse from 68-2 and 120-5 to 159 all out.
England were given a lifeline when Annabel Sutherland was taken out of the attack for bowling two no-balls in the 48th over, but Amy Jones – who was left unbeaten on 47 – failed to recognise that she should have run from the free hit which was the final ball of the over.
That left number eleven Bell with six balls of Schutt to face, and she perished to hand Australia a potentially series-defining win and inflict a morale-sapping defeat on England.
It was a gut-wrenching blow for England’s bowlers who performed magnificently to bowl Australia out for 180 inside 45 overs, with spinner Sophie Ecclestone taking 4-35 and Alice Capsey 3-22.
The hosts suffered a similarly woeful collapse of their own, losing their last eight wickets for just 49 runs after Capsey removed Ellyse Perry for a sublime 60.
But England are unlikely to be given a better chance of getting back into the series against such a dominant side, and the lack of tactical awareness as soon as the pressure started to increase was particularly alarming.
The ODI series concludes in Hobart on 16 January, before three T20s which are also worth two points apiece and a one-off Test match which is worth four.
Australia find a way as England implode
Wilting under pressure was already a worrying trend for Heather Knight’s England, but after this latest shambolic display, Australia will be even more confident of retaining the Ashes sooner rather than later.
Great teams find a way to win from nowhere, as Australia have proven once again, but it was at times brainless cricket from England which handed it to them – the hosts successfully defending their lowest ODI total since 2006.
At 84-5, England were wobbling but they had more than 28 overs to eke out another 97 runs.
Instead, Jones went into her shell alongside Capsey, who made 14 for 35 balls – and Australia, who need no second invitation to prey on any sniff of fragility, pounced.
Capsey was trapped on the crease lbw by Kim Garth, who bowled a miserly spell of 3-37, Charlie Dean attempted an inexplicable ramp to be caught off King and next ball, Sophie Ecclestone edged behind off the same bowler.
Lauren Filer was run out after Darcie Brown’s phenomenal swoop and throw from short third, and it took that final throw of the dice for Jones to start playing her shots but it came far too late, coupled with her inability to manage the strike with Bell.
King was immense for her 4-25, having also claimed the huge scalps of Nat Sciver-Brunt for 35 and Danni Wyatt-Hodge for a golden duck earlier in her spell.
England faced an uphill task even before the series began and few would have expected them to win the ODI series, which is comfortably Australia’s strongest format, but they cannot make any excuses for failing to take away what would have been a precious two points from Melbourne.
Australia skittled but spinners’ efforts in vain
While Capsey struggled with the bat once again, she played a pivotal role with the ball which added to the confusion as to why she did not bowl in the series opener in Sydney.
Australia were cruising serenely at 92-1 when Ecclestone was finally introduced into the attack – another of Knight’s questionable tactics in holding her back until the 18th over.
Opener Phoebe Litchfield made a stuttering 29 and was trapped in front in Ecclestone’s first over as the world’s best made an immediate impact.
She then had Beth Mooney dismissed in the same fashion for 12 to leave the score 131-3, before Capsey’s introduction changed the direction of the innings.
All-rounder Sutherland was dropped on one as Capsey missed a chance in her follow-through but she could not capitalise, eventually being caught by a diving Knight at cover for 11 before a lengthy review saw Perry given out lbw to end a previously serene innings where a fourth ODI century looked almost certain.
Ash Gardner was bowled by a nicely-flighted delivery for two, Filer nipped one past Tahlia McGrath’s defence and then Australia were on the ropes at 153-7.
Their lower order is so rarely needed and they were exposed, with Ecclestone adding King and Schutt to her tally.
England can take confidence from this collapse, twinned with the fact Healy’s side lost six wickets in chasing only 203 in the opener, but they need to win the series outright by getting 10 points on the board and from their batting displays so far, those points are going to be very difficult to attain. – bbcsport
A.I
Jan. 14, 2025
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