5 things we learnt from the T20 series – Australia chasing Women’s Ashes whitewash

Maia Bouchier plays cricket for England
Maia Bouchier has been in relatively poor form for England lately.

England’s dreary Women’s Ashes has gone from bad to worse following their latest 3-0 series defeat to Australia, this time in the T20 series.

The touring side’s sixth successive loss in the Women’s Ashes leaves them on the brink of a winless series and if defeated in the upcoming Test match in Melbourne, a 16-0 whitewash in the points-based system.

An opportunity to bounce back was on the cards in the first T20 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. England were a bleak yet salvageable six points down heading into three matches of their favoured format.

The prospect of revival initiated a palpable sense of anticipation at the SCG.

A response was expected, aided by the late fitness withdrawals of Australia’s skipper, Alyssa Healy, as well as Ash Gardener, who scored a century in her previous innings.

But up stepped the number one T20 batter in the world, Beth Mooney, who clubbed 75 runs to leave the away side a mammoth chase of 199 to stay in the Women’s Ashes.

England couldn’t have had a worse start to their chase as they lost both openers for a duck with Sophia Dunkley’s 59 in her first appearance of the tour the only notable score as they were bowled out 57 runs short of their target as Australia retained the Ashes.

A record women’s T20I crowd of 8628 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, filled the ground as the hosts looked to win the Women’s Ashes in the second match of the twenty-over series.

However, rain dictated play with the players pulled from the field with the final decision from the umpires being the nail in England’s coffin.

A late partnership from stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris helped Australia set another competitive total of 185.

England started their chase well with a constant eye on the Duckworth-Lewis score (DLS) with rain in the air, but crucial wickets from the hosts seamers made victory look unlikely.

Late heroics from England captain, Heather Knight were to no avail as she was denied the opportunity to score the 18 needed off the last five deliveries with rain declaring Australia victory and the Ashes by six runs through DLS.

The final stop of the T20 series was at the Adelaide Oval with England desperate to rule out a potential whitewash clash in the Test match in Melbourne.

Australia’s trend of batting first continued as did Beth Mooney’s hot form with another impeccable knock of 94 not out leaving England a tough yet achievable target of 163.

Despite yet more resilience from Knight, the rest of the away side’s batting order crumbled as they were decimated by the bowlers reaching just 90 for all ten wickets.

The series finale is a landmark first day/night Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where England will hope they can rise to the occasion and put their only points on the board to avoid an embarrassing Women’s Ashes whitewash.

Here are five things we learnt from Australia’s latest series sweep.

1. Australia have been faultless in the field

The contrast between both sides in the field has been staggering with Australia making the most of their chances while their opposition has spurned opportunities and frequently misfielded leaking crucial runs and giving batters second chances up and down the order.

The Australians have taken on average one catch a game more than England through the first six matches of the Women’s Ashes and have supported their bowlers seamlessly in the field.

2. England are wobbly at the top of the order

England seems unsure of the makeup of their top order and has been chopping and changing their personnel at the top in the hope that they will produce more starts and convert them into runs.

The top order’s series hasn’t been what they or the selectors would have hoped for in the build-up to the much-anticipated contest with Maia Bouchier, among others, struggling for form as she managed just 39 runs in five matches.

Also read: Most ODI wickets by a seamer in ODI cricket since 2023

3. Beth Mooney is in a league of her own in T20 cricket

The best-ranked T20 batter in the name lived up to the hype with a scintillating series with the bat where she notched 213 runs in total at an average of 106.50 as she helped her nation post three imposing targets.

And with the injury to Healy, the 31-year-old stepped up behind the stumps, claiming four dismissals as wicketkeeper for Australia in her prolific T20 series.

4. Heather Knight stands tall for England

When everyone else seemed to falter, it was the captain who stood tall for England, taking the fight to Australia and would have had the chance to win the game in the final over if it wasn’t for rain in Canberra at the end of the second T20.

Heather Knight‘s frustration at the rain-induced outcome highlighted her fighting spirit but also the excruciating agony of losing an Ashes match – a fine example to her struggling teammates.

5. England need Kate Cross at the MCG

It’s been a difficult series for Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer who have thrown everything at Australia for little reward.

In the upcoming day-night Test at the MCG, the introduction of Kate Cross, if declared fit, would be a great boost to England’s lineup with her lateral movement and quality with the red ball a new threat to the opposition.

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