154/6 (19.5)
CR : 7.76
153/7 (20.0)
CR : 7.65
Australia Women won by 4 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Beth Mooney
61(47)
Georgia Wareham
24 yrs
Best13
Innings40
Runs49
SR119.51
Avg12.25
Is there another twist in the tale? Australia still require one run from two balls and Georgia Wareham walks out to bat.
Will get a super over tonight?
Will get a super over tonight?
19.5
1
S Ecclestone to G Wareham
Good length outside the off stump, Wareham cuts to the diving point fielder who flicks the ball back to the keeper. The batters call for a single and Mooney gets home at the striker's end! What a match we have witnessed!
AUSW won by 4 wickets
2:08 AM IST, 9:38 PM Local time: A last ball thriller was on the cards in the first T20I of the multi-format women's Ashes series but Australia ride home safe winning by 4 wickets on the penultimate ball of the innings.
Australia called it right at the toss with skipper Alyssa Healy electing to bowl first and conceded 153/7 in the 20 overs with Sophia Dunkley scoring 56 in 49 balls and Amy Jones hitting an unbeaten 40 in 21 balls. Jess Jonassen was the pick of the bowlers with 3/25 with Megan Schutt finishing at 2/33.
Skipper Healy departed for just 5 with Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Lauren Bell getting 2 wickets apiece. Glenn getting her couple on 2 successive balls dismissing Ashleigh Gardner (31 off 23) and Grace Harris.
Lauren Bell was tasked with the penultimate over defending 16 with opener and anchor Beth Mooney on strike. She did well to shatter Ellyse Perry's stumps but a couple of boundaries later in the over pushed the game towards Australia.
Sophie Ecclestone was tasked to defend 5 in the final over and conceded a boundary first ball but three dot balls including a wicket of Annabel Sutherland created hopes of a tie but Georgia Wareham kept her calm to get a single off the penultimate ball.
This was Australia's first ever T20I after their successful T20 World cup against South Africa last year. Mooney was the player of the match on that occasion scoring an unbeaten 74 in 53 balls batting first and guided the team to a win here as well.
Australia called it right at the toss with skipper Alyssa Healy electing to bowl first and conceded 153/7 in the 20 overs with Sophia Dunkley scoring 56 in 49 balls and Amy Jones hitting an unbeaten 40 in 21 balls. Jess Jonassen was the pick of the bowlers with 3/25 with Megan Schutt finishing at 2/33.
Skipper Healy departed for just 5 with Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn and Lauren Bell getting 2 wickets apiece. Glenn getting her couple on 2 successive balls dismissing Ashleigh Gardner (31 off 23) and Grace Harris.
Lauren Bell was tasked with the penultimate over defending 16 with opener and anchor Beth Mooney on strike. She did well to shatter Ellyse Perry's stumps but a couple of boundaries later in the over pushed the game towards Australia.
Sophie Ecclestone was tasked to defend 5 in the final over and conceded a boundary first ball but three dot balls including a wicket of Annabel Sutherland created hopes of a tie but Georgia Wareham kept her calm to get a single off the penultimate ball.
This was Australia's first ever T20I after their successful T20 World cup against South Africa last year. Mooney was the player of the match on that occasion scoring an unbeaten 74 in 53 balls batting first and guided the team to a win here as well.
Player of the Match: Beth Mooney
Beth Mooney (Player of the Match): "I was on the edge of my seat at the non-striker's end but I have faith in my girls. We bat deep and were confident of getting across the line. Me and Ash were batting well at the halfway mark of the chase.
The wicket was good but on the slower side with the bowlers using slower deliveries. Maybe a par total but they batted extremely well in the death overs to post that total on the board. We spoke and decided to react to who is bowling at which stage. Ecclestone was bowling at a different pace and we knew we had to adapt.
It's good to play white-ball cricket. We have got the license and swing hard at it. It's always tough coming into the series. This English side is a quality one and we know they will come back harder at the Oval in the next game."
The wicket was good but on the slower side with the bowlers using slower deliveries. Maybe a par total but they batted extremely well in the death overs to post that total on the board. We spoke and decided to react to who is bowling at which stage. Ecclestone was bowling at a different pace and we knew we had to adapt.
It's good to play white-ball cricket. We have got the license and swing hard at it. It's always tough coming into the series. This English side is a quality one and we know they will come back harder at the Oval in the next game."
Heather Knight (England Captain): "We got closer. Really loved the way we fought. Amy Jones got us to a total which was pretty par. Another special game. The crowd was great.
Spinners are our strength. I think we have world class spinners. Slower balls were effective on that wicket.
[Amy Jones cameo] It was special, it got us back in the game. Me and Sophia found it tricky in the middle. and for Amy to strike the way she did, was special. We want to be aggressive but also smart. It is tough already. The fact we came out and brought out a good show, we are proud of it.
You try to manage your bowlers and try to match up the batter as well. Could have used Ecclestone the over before, but she was great. Unfortunately, we are on the wrong side of it."
Spinners are our strength. I think we have world class spinners. Slower balls were effective on that wicket.
[Amy Jones cameo] It was special, it got us back in the game. Me and Sophia found it tricky in the middle. and for Amy to strike the way she did, was special. We want to be aggressive but also smart. It is tough already. The fact we came out and brought out a good show, we are proud of it.
You try to manage your bowlers and try to match up the batter as well. Could have used Ecclestone the over before, but she was great. Unfortunately, we are on the wrong side of it."
Alyssa Healy (Australia Captain): "We proud ourselves on fighting till the end. It was a close-fought game but happy to be on the finish side. The winning score here is 160 but I thought we did well with the ball. Maybe leaked a few runs in the end but will improve those things.
Mooney was great in the middle and anchored the innings perfectly. She lost partners from the other end but did what she does best.
Test cricket is rare for us. We keep playing T20s and the girls got time to improve mentally for this series. We have to improve on our bowling in the death overs and were a bit loose in the field. Tidy them and come out in the next game.
The bowlers are doing a tremendous job. To come back here and the atmosphere was amazing. The crowd was against us and a few Aussies were backing us but feels great to play at three iconic venues in UK and looking forward to games in London."
Mooney was great in the middle and anchored the innings perfectly. She lost partners from the other end but did what she does best.
Test cricket is rare for us. We keep playing T20s and the girls got time to improve mentally for this series. We have to improve on our bowling in the death overs and were a bit loose in the field. Tidy them and come out in the next game.
The bowlers are doing a tremendous job. To come back here and the atmosphere was amazing. The crowd was against us and a few Aussies were backing us but feels great to play at three iconic venues in UK and looking forward to games in London."
That's it from a magnificent T20 between Australia and England, the hosts now need to win all the five games to claim the Ashes as Australia have claimed two more points added to their 4 which they gained from the Test win last week.
Ninaad Dixit here signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Akshay Bhide and scorer Yogesh Kumar. Stay tuned for more cricketing action around the world.
Ninaad Dixit here signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Akshay Bhide and scorer Yogesh Kumar. Stay tuned for more cricketing action around the world.