Women’s Ashes: Australia Women took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against England Women with a thrilling four-wicket victory at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
After opting to field first, Australia Women restricted England Women to 153-7 in their 20 overs. Sophia Dunkley top-scored for the hosts with 56, while Amy Jones made a quickfire 40 not out. Tahlia McGrath was the pick of the bowlers for Australia Women, taking 2 wickets for 27 runs.
In reply, Australia Women got off to a slow start, but Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath put on a 78-run partnership for the second wicket to get their team back on track. Mooney was the star of the show, scoring 61* off 47 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. McGrath also played a useful knock of 40 off 27 balls.
With 15 needed off the final over, Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner got Australia Women within touching distance of victory. However, Gardner was dismissed off the first ball of the over, leaving Mooney to finish the job. She did so in style, hitting the winning runs with a boundary off the penultimate ball.
The win was Australia Women’s sixth in a row against England Women in all formats, and it puts them in a strong position to win the series. The next match will be played at the same venue on Friday.
Women’s Ashes Key moments:
- Australia Women got off to a good start in the field, dismissing Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt in the first two overs.
- Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones put on a 74-run partnership for the third wicket to steady the innings.
- Tahlia McGrath was the pick of the bowlers for Australia Women, taking 2 wickets for 27 runs.
- Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath put on a 78-run partnership for the second wicket to get Australia Women back on track.
- Mooney scored 61* off 47 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes.
- Australia Women reached their target with 4 wickets and 5 balls to spare.
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Women’s Ashes: Quotes
- “It was a really good game of cricket,” said Mooney. “England put up a really good total, but we were able to get over the line in the end.”
- “We’re really happy with the way we’ve started the series,” said Lanning. “We’ve got a lot of depth in our batting line-up, and we’re confident we can continue to perform well.”
- “We’re disappointed with the way we lost,” said England captain Heather Knight. “We had a good start, but we couldn’t build on it. Australia were the better team on the day.”
What does it mean for the series?
The win was Australia Women’s sixth in a row against England Women in all formats, and it puts them in a strong position to win the series. The next match will be played at the same venue on Friday, and Australia Women will be looking to take a 2-0 lead.
What’s next?
The second T20I between Australia Women and England Women will be played at Edgbaston on Friday, July 3. The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM local time.