Australia retained the Women’s Ashes with a thrilling three-run win over England in the second One-Day International at Southampton despite an unbeaten hundred from home batter Nat Sciver-Brunt.
England, set 283 to win, finished agonisingly short on 279-7 when, with five needed for victory off the last ball, Sciver-Brunt could only manage a single against Jess Jonassen to be 111 not out.
Victory gave two-time ODI world champions Australia an unassailable 8-6 points lead in the multi-format series. The most England can now hope for is to end all square at 8-8 by winning the third and final ODI in Taunton on Tuesday.
But even if the series is shared, holders Australia will still retain the Ashes.
Key to Sunday’s success was the last over of their innings when Georgia Wareham smashed 26 runs off England quick Lauren Bell.
“We still haven’t played our best cricket yet, which is a little bit scary at times, but we’re obviously really chuffed,” said Australia captain Alyssa Healy.
The wicketkeeper, leading the side after regular skipper Meg Lanning was ruled out of the tour on medical grounds, added: “We came here to win the Ashes and we’ve retained them.
“There’s still one game to go so we’re really looking forward to putting our best foot forward again.”
England skipper Heather Knight said: “How Nat played to get so close was brilliant... We’re disappointed. The way we’ve fought back, we thought we had momentum and we had belief we can win.”
Australia stop England’s attempted comeback
Australia, victorious in the lone Test of the Ashes, had been 6-0 ahead before England rallied with three wins in a row – taking two of the three Twenty20s and the first ODI – to level the series at 6-6.
But Sunday’s defeat left England still looking for their first Ashes series win since 2014.
Australia, sent in to bat, made 282-7 with all-rounder Ellyse Perry making 91 and Annabel Sutherland an even 50 before Wareham scored three sixes in the last over, which saw her finish unbeaten on 37.
Tammy Beaumont got England’s chase off to a strong start with 60 but recalled Australia leg-spinner Alana King, the player of the match, took 3-44 from her maximum 10 overs.
Sciver-Brunt kept England’s slim hopes alive but a target of 15 runs from experienced left-arm spinner’s Jonassen’s final over was just too much for the all-rounder.
Australia were faltering at 158-5 before Sutherland helped Perry add 81 for the sixth wicket.
Sophie Ecclestone ensured there would be no hundred for Perry, dropped twice, and then removed Sutherland, with both batters caught on the boundary.
England, however, still faced another record ODI chase, after achieving the same feat in Bristol on Wednesday.
King captured the prize wicket of Knight, unhappy at being given out lbw for 12, and then bowled the fluent Beaumont with a well-spun delivery as England slumped from 107-2 to 144-5.
Sciver-Brunt’s excellent 93-ball hundred, including nine fours, ensured a tense finish but her attempt to win the game with a last-ball six only went for one.
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