Southern Stars regain the Ashes

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have regained the Women’s Ashes with a match to spare, beating England by 20 runs in the second T20 in Hove.

Australia were restricted to 7-107 from their 20 overs but a brilliant burst with the new ball from Renee Farrell (3-17) and Ellyse Perry (2-13) destroyed England’s top order, with the hosts eventually bowled out for 87 in the final over.

Perry takes two in two (restrictions apply)

Following a 2-1 ODI series win and a comprehensive victory in the one-off Test match, the Southern Stars needed just one win from the three T20 Internationals to reclaim the Ashes for the first time since 2013.

A seven-wicket win in Essex gave England the first T20, and after Australia were restricted to 7-107 from 20 overs the series looked to be heading to Cardiff for a winner-takes-all finale.

But just as she has done throughout the Ashes, Meg Lanning commanded her troops with precision and purpose to author an England collapse of 5-28 which proved impossible to overcome.

England captain Charlotte Edwards won the toss and sent Australia in as each team made one change from Essex; Farrell in for spinner Erin Osborn for the visitors, while England added to their spin stocks with Bec Grundy in for Jenny Gunn.

Frugal English bowling pegged down the Stars’ opening batters, conceding only one boundary in the first four overs which led to Ellyse Perry chipping to Anya Shrubsole to Hazell at mid-on for seven.

The six powerplay overs yielded only 19 runs, leaving Lanning to up the ante with a four in the seventh over as Elyse Villani struggled to find rhythm throughout her innings.

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Captain Lanning equal top-scored with 21 // Getty Images

Lanning collected two more boundaries before a pressure-releasing sweep off Grundy was missed, costing the Australia captain her wicket, and five balls later, Villani fell in the same fashion, only this time to Hazell.

Grundy picked up her second wicket when she snared a sharp reflex catch off Alex Blackwell to reduce the tourists to 4-51 in the 13th over.

Player of the Test match Jonassen combined with Grace Harris for a much-needed but all-too-brief partnership of 26 which featured a towering six from Harris over cow corner.

But like her more senior teammates, Harris was out lbw playing and missing across the line.

When Jonassen was run-out in the 18th over with score on 86, triple-figures looked a long way off, but some crafty stroke play in the final over from Cameron lifted the score past 100.

Australia needed early wickets and they needed them fast, and Jonassen delivered with the big scalp of Edwards for eight in the second over of the run chase.

As she’s done throughout the series Perry made inroads with the new ball, this time removing Lauren Winfield and Natalie Sciver in consecutive deliveries.

Perry missed her hat-trick by a whisker when Katherine Brunt left a ball that was millimetres from shaving the exposed off-stump.

Sarah Taylor won England the first T20 in Essex two days ago, but there was no repeat on Friday as the recalled Farrell confiscated the first-drop’s wicket then Heather Knight four runs later to leave the pursuit in tatters at 5-28 as the powerplay concluded.

Brunt and Lydia Greenway scrapped together 20 apiece, but as England threatened to build a meaningful partnership, Lanning changed the bowler or field to reap immediate reward.

As wickets tumbled, to Megan Schutt (2-18) and Sarah Coyte (1-12), England kept coming, but a freakish run-out ended Danni Wyatt’s stay and all-but ended England’s hopes of retaining the Ashes and forcing a decider.

Farrell's lucky run-out (restrictions apply)

Two catches to Lanning, including a leap high above her head at shortish midwicket put Australia on the brink before a spectacular outfield catch to Jonassen iced the deal, the Southern Stars left to celebrate a history day in Australian women's cricket.

The third match in the series will be broadcast on Gem from 9pm Monday night AEST.

WATCH: Extended highlights of Southern Stars' triumph (restrictions apply)