Australia remain a class above but the gap is closing

Amy Jones insists England are closing the gap on Australia, following a thrilling opening T20I at Edgbaston that nonetheless ended with the tourists just one win away from retaining the Ashes.

Australia reeled in their target of 154 with a ball to spare in Birmingham, stumbling over the line after they had seemingly been cruising towards victory before a mini-collapse helped England push the game to the final over.

The four-wicket win gave Australia a six-nil lead in the points-based, multi-format series and another win at The Oval on Wednesday will be enough to retain the Ashes with one T20I and three ODIs left to play.

It left England with the daunting prospect of needing to win all five remaining matches, and extended their winless streak against Australia across all formats that stretches back to February 2020.

Back then, they defeated the world No.1s in a super over in Canberra during a tri-series that served as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup.

Prior to that, their next most recent win over Australia was in the final match of the 2019 Ashes, when the tourists already held a 12-2 lead.

England have pushed Australia during that period, most notably in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand when Australia held on for a thrilling 12-run win defending 311, while they were also well on top for significant periods during last week’s Test at Trent Bridge.

Asked after play what it would take for England to get over the line against Australia, and if she felt all it would take would be one win to "open the floodgates", England wicketkeeper Amy Jones was circumspect.

However, she was adamant the remainder of this series would be close fought.

"I think the gap feels like it's closing," Jones said.

"They have been formidable, really, over the last few years.

"We felt like underdogs the whole way through, but I think at the Test match and today, the confidence is growing.

"And it feels to us as if the gap is closing and that's a really exciting feeling amongst us.

"I mean, hopefully we win the next and then it keeps going (but) I think with a side like Australia, there's going to be lots of close games.

"I think we're in for six really close games to be honest."

Australia have won 23 of their past 24 T20Is since the 2022 Ashes – and that sole defeat came via a super over in India.

But the world champions have been forced to dig deep on multiple occasions during that period, seemingly on the ropes only to pull the rug out from under their rivals as they once again found a way.

They did it in Cape Town in February, pulling themselves back into the contest when India were charging toward a semi-final win at Newlands.

India needed 41 off 34 with six wickets in hand, but the Australians kept their heads, scrapping their way to a five-run win.

India came unstuck in similar fashion in the Commonwealth Games gold medal game at Birmingham last August; then, they needed 19 off 14 but fell nine runs short.

In short: no matter the situation, the current Australian team holds a dogged belief they can, and will, find a way.

"A big thing we speak about as a group and something we think is a real bonus of what we can all bring is that composure and that calmness under pressure, and in high pressure moments," Jess Jonassen told reporters on Saturday.

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"Even though there were probably a few nerves internally, similar to the Test, but (you’re) trying to not show it on the outside and to trust and back your skills and your preparation that and know that you've been there many times before.

"It's sport, it can be cruel, sometimes you come off second best, but we've found as a group, the more calm and composed, we've stayed, we've generally come out on top."

On Saturday it was Australia who almost ended up on the losing end of a run chase after being in a position of strength.

They needed 24 off 20 with eight wickets in hand, then lost 3-10, but held their nerve to scramble home with a ball to spare.

To her credit, star spinner Sophie Ecclestone threw everything she could at stopping Australia scoring the five runs they needed from the final over.

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After her first delivery was driven straight back down the ground for four by Annabel Sutherland – levelling the scores – she delivered two dots, one via a desperate diving save in her follow through, before she had the allrounder caught.

It was left to Georgia Wareham to scramble through for a match-sealing single from the penultimate ball of the game.

When Jones was asked to reflect on the tricky high catch she took to dismiss Sutherland (when scores were tied with three balls remaining), her response was: "To be honest, I think I was feeling a bit frustrated at the start of the over, there weren't really any nerves at that point, it was unlikely that we were going to win at that point so (I was) probably feeling a bit defeated already, to be fair."

While England have yet to seize the moment on the field this series, they are undoubtedly kicking goals towards their oft-repeated mission statement of "inspiring and entertaining".

Tammy Beaumont’s double century and Ecclestone’s 10-for in the Trent Bridge Test rewrote the record books, and Saturday’s thrilling finish was watched by 19,527 people at Edgbaston – the biggest crowd for an England women’s match outside of World Cups or Commonwealth Games, eclipsing the 15,187 who attended an ODI against India at Lord's last year.

Women’s sport is enjoying a groundswell of support in the United Kingdom off the back of the football team's success at last year’s UEFA Women’s Euros, with cricket among the codes feeling the benefits.

The England and Wales Cricket Board seized on that trend by scheduling women’s Ashes matches in primetime slots at top-tier venues including Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and the Rose Bowl.

While the boisterous Birmingham crowd was firmly on England’s side, Jonassen hailed the turnout.

It is a scenario Australia are becoming more accustomed to of late, having played in front of more than 45,000 people in India last December and meeting South Africa in a sold-out World Cup final at Newlands in February.

"It was incredible, credit to everyone who came and created that really cool atmosphere," Jonassen said.

"It's never a nice feeling knowing that the crowd's not really going for you.

"But at the same time, we've spoken about as a group that if you embrace it, you can use it to your advantage in a way – it's the times when you actually take the crowd into consideration, that's when it impacts you in a negative way.

"For us, it's all about embracing whatever it is, and ultimately, people have paid good money to come and watch some good quality cricket and hopefully we gave them that tonight."

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-0

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: Australia won by four wickets

Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 6 AEST)

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England T20 squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Issy Wong, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Wyatt