'Better than that': Emotional England ready for tougher test

England are wary of a reinvigorated Australia coming off just their second loss in their past 35 white-ball matches as the visitors' again eye chance to retain the Ashes at Lord's on Saturday (Sunday morning AEST).

While England were on Friday revelling in their first win over Australia in any format since February 2020 after a tense three-run victory in front of a pulsating crowd of 20,328 at The Oval on Wednesday night, vice-captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt said they were already planning to for an even harder test in the third T20I.

A similar crowd is expected at the home of cricket later tonight where they need to win to retain any hope of winning the points-based Ashes series.

"After the game (on Wednesday), it felt like relief and it felt like 'Oh, this is what we should be doing the whole time'," Sciver-Brunt said.

"I think probably both teams would say that they haven't played their best match. So we'll definitely be expecting some tuned in performances, hopefully from both sides, but we know that Australia will definitely come back harder."

Australia captain Alyssa Healy admitted her side had been a "little bit off" in the first two T20 internationals, but still managed to win the first at Edgbaston by four wickets and got within three runs of England's total at The Oval.

Leg-spinner Georgia Wareham – who wasn't required by Healy to bowl on Wednesday – echoed her skipper's comments after the team arrived at Lord's on Friday and said the loss was "a bit of a kick up the bum" for the visitors.

"We were pretty far from our best the other night," Wareham said. "We were all pretty disappointed with the performance that we put out there.

"We know we're better than that and I think that's the exciting thing for the team (because) we still got pretty close in that game.

Image Id: 01451C7EC39848C4858C3860B12EE65B Image Caption: The Aussies pose for a team photo at Lord's ahead of the third T20I // Getty

"That shows the depth that we have in our team, to be able to do a job when not everyone's firing.

"We know when we get it right, we're a pretty tough team to beat so we'll look to tidy up a few things tomorrow night and hopefully put out a good performance."

Sciver-Brunt revealed there was a "lot of emotion" in the England rooms on Wednesday following their first win over Australia in 11 matches, and a sense of validation that their new style of all-out aggression can pay off.

"If anything, it will spur us on really just to keep playing in the way that we have been playing," the 30-year-old allrounder said.

"It was probably just a mental gap that we had before. Skills-wise, I'd say we're probably pretty evenly matched.

"You don't become a world-class team for (no reason), you have to know how to win from all places and all positions in the game. So that's something Australia have done really well in the last five to 10 years and (something) we're working on.

"I feel like we've believed in ourselves quite a lot more than we have in the past over the last 12 months but not quite got the results.

"So, we're really happy to have got over the line and I think that will hopefully accelerate our belief in ourselves."

Sciver-Brunt, who has struggled with inflammation in her knee during the first two matches of the multi-format Ashes series, said she was "feeling good" ahead of the third T20I and confirmed she would be able to bowl her full quota if required.

Australia can retain the Ashes with victory at Lord's on Saturday evening while England need to win the remaining T20I and all three one-day internationals in Bristol, Southampton and Taunton to take the series.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-2

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: Australia won by four wickets

Second T20I: England won by three runs

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