Third Ashes T20 called off without a ball bowled

Australia will go into the one-off Ashes Test with a 4-2 lead in the multi-format series after the third and final T20 was washed out without a ball bowled at Adelaide Oval.

The South Australia capital was blanketed in near-constant rain across Saturday and Sunday, which left the final two 20-over games without a result.

Unable to spend extended periods of time inside their dressing rooms due to COVID-19 bio-security restrictions, both the Australian and English players were forced to sit in their dug out and watch the rain fall.

For the hosts it added further salt to the wound following the devastating news fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck would miss both the rest of the series and the ODI World Cup in New Zealand after suffering a stress fracture to the navicular bone of her right foot.

It is the same injury that ruled the Victorian out of the 2020 T20 World Cup and left her on the sidelines for 10 months.

"She played all 14 WBBL so games so we came in with a lot of confidence (that she would go through unscathed)," Matthew Mott told Channel 7.

"We were always going to look to manage her through, but for it to happen so early in this Ashes campaign, it's absolutely shattering for her and for the whole group.

"It was a pretty sombre dressing room last night."

After 4.1 overs of play were possible on Saturday, not a single ball was delivered on Sunday.

It means Grace Harris's recall to the Australia team ends without the Queensland allrounder having the chance to bat or bowl.

Harris was added to the group for the T20 leg as cover for Beth Mooney, but it is now expected Mooney could make a surprise return for the Test after she was spotted jogging through the rain around the Adelaide Oval boundary on Sunday.

The third and final T20 between Australia A and England A was also washed out, again denying Ellyse Perry an opportunity to spend time in the middle.

Perry, who was left out of Australia's T20 side but who is expected to play a major role in both the Test and three ODIs to come, opened the batting for Australia A alongside fellow Ashes squad member Annabel Sutherland.

But their pursuit of England A's 1-158 was called off after just five balls as the rain arrived. 

Eve Jones (51no from 59) and Emma Lamb (57 from 31) led the scoring for England A, while the wickets were shared between Sutherland (1-23), Maitlan Brown (1-22), Courtney Sippel (1-29) and Amanda-Jade Wellington (1-23).

Perry bowled two overs for figures of 0-13.

Both teams will travel by charter flight to Canberra on Monday afternoon to begin their preparations for the Test at Manuka Oval beginning Thursday.

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

England Ashes squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Australia lead the multi-format series 4-2

Jan 20: Australia won by nine wickets

Jan 22: No Result

Jan 23: Match Abandoned without a ball bowled

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval, 10am AEDT, 

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval (D/N), 2.10pm AEDT

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT