Southern Stars keep Ashes alive

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The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have kept their Ashes hopes alive with a stunning four-wicket win over England in Hobart.

Ellyse Perry (90 from 94 balls) and Erin Osborne (40 from 25) came together at 6-199 and took Australia to victory in a nerve-wracking final over, reaching the required target of 269 runs with three balls remaining.

The Southern Stars must still win all three T20 matches in the Commonwealth Bank Ashes Series to regain the trophy, but will take the momentum of back-to-back wins into the first T20 match in Hobart on Wednesday, particularly after engineering this phenomenal run chase.

Australia had made a rapid start toward their target, smashing six boundaries in their first 30 runs.

After the previous game at the MCG, Bolton joked about having to apologise to her opening partner for hogging the strike, but this time it was Lanning taking point.

The captain dispatched anything short or wide of off-stump with a series of beautifully timed pull shots and she dealt out punishment to Anya Shrubsole in more ways than one, smashing the ball back at the bowler and catching her on the shin.

Shrubsole lasted a few more overs out in the field before she was forced to seek an ice bucket, which robbed England of their main strike bowler for around 20 overs.

Australia raced to 45 off the opening nine overs but the tenth proved to be both dramatic and pivotal.

Bowling the second over of her spell, Jenny Gunn was launched over the top of midwicket by Lanning, the ball bouncing once just centimetres inside the boundary.

The next delivery was treated with even more contempt, a cracking pull shot sailing over the rope and almost to the fence backward of square leg.

But Gunn had the last laugh in this particular battle with the very next ball.

Gunn sent down a signature delivery wide of off that tempted Lanning to chase another slog, but this time she was beaten and Sarah Taylor, keeping up to the stumps, was too quick in whipping off the bails, sending Lanning back to the pavilion for 40 from 30 balls.

It was almost an exact replica of the way Gunn and Taylor had combined during the Perth Test to dismiss Jodie Fields.

Cameron was out two overs later in the unluckiest way, backing up at the bowler’s end when Gunn got a fingertip to the ball as it was driven straight by Bolton, the faint deflection sending it crashing into the stumps.

Bolton was unable to repeat her match-defining century at the MCG a few days earlier, bowled for 31 as she tried to lift the run rate by attempting to go over the top.

After a slow start, Alex Blackwell (51 off 75) and Perry made the most of Shrubsole’s absence, punishing the part-timer Arran Brindle, who went for 29 off her 4 overs.

But when Blackwell, who made her third half-century in a row, departed, Australia struggled with a climbing run rate and the loss of two more wickets in Jess Jonassen (3) and Alyssa Healy (4), until Osborne arrived to aid Perry.

For England, half-centuries to Sarah Taylor (64 off 57 balls) and Heather Knight (57 off 82 balls) formed the backbone of their innings, which was helped along by some loose bowling and fumbling in the field by the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars.

England had sailed past the 200 mark for the loss of just three wickets courtesy of some loose bowling from the Australians on a flat Hobart deck.

Edwards has been a constant thorn in the Southern Stars’ side throughout this series and there was palpable relief when the captain found a leading edge to pop the ball up to mid-wicket, where Erin Osborne took a straightforward catch.

That brought Sarah Taylor (64 off 57) to the crease and the England No. 3 displayed the kind of stroke play that has taken her to the top of the ICC T20 batting rankings.

Taylor pushed the run rate up from the moment she arrived at the crease, although she earned an icy glare from her opening partner when a mix-up running between the wickets cost Knight, who was well set on 57, her chance to cash in.

It took a remarkable piece of fielding to remove Taylor, the batter smashing Ellyse Perry over mid-on where Jess Cameron, running full tilt, made a desperate dive and snatched the ball one-handed.

The Australians could only take one more wicket, Lydia Greenway out lbw to Osborne for 25.

But some late hitting by Natalie Sciver (43 off 35 balls) and Arran Brindle (26 off 25 balls) kept the scoreboard ticking over, the tourists finishing with 4-268 of their 50 overs.

Thanks to Perry's and Osborne's remarkable heroics, it was a total that proved insufficient.

The win leaves Australia trailing England eight-four with three matches, each worth two points, remaining.