MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia retained the Women’s Ashes towards England with two matches to spare following their 27-run victory within the opening one-day worldwide on Thursday.
Two weeks after the boys’s staff coasted to a 4-0 Ashes triumph towards Joe Root’s England, holders Australia defended a modest whole of 205-9 at Canberra’s Manuka Oval to take an 8-4 lead within the multi-format collection.
With two factors for a win, and two ODIs remaining, England may nonetheless draw the collection, however Australia ensured they might retain the Ashes as holders.
Put into bat, Australia endured a mid-innings collapse to hunch from 60-1 to 67-4 with skipper Meg Lanning among the many wickets that tumbled.
Beth Mooney rescued Australia with 73 off 91 balls and was the final batter to fall to the ultimate supply of the innings.
For England, Kate Cross and Katherine Brunt evenly cut up six wickets between them.
England have been jolted early of their reply when Darcie Brown (4-34) dismissed Tammy Beaumont and touring captain Heather Knight off successive deliveries.
Nat Sciver made 45 however Brown took a shocking return catch to disclaim her a fifty and England finally have been bowled out for 178 inside 45 overs.
“We got here into this collection with one job to do – retain the Ashes and we have accomplished that,” Mooney, named participant of the match, mentioned.
“We’ve acquired one other job to do now and win them outright.”
Knight was optimistic England may nonetheless degree the collection in Melbourne which hosts the final two one-dayers on Sunday and Tuesday.
“We’re nonetheless in with an opportunity of drawing the collection and that is acquired to be our focus now,” Knight mentioned.
“We did not get a partnership collectively… We misplaced wickets at common moments they usually bowled properly. They saved the stumps within the recreation and that made it onerous to attain on that wicket.”
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; modifying by Toby Davis)
