Mooney clutch in tense chase as Australia extend streak

Beth Mooney has produced a clutch half-century to leave Australia just one win away from retaining the Ashes, as the tourists survived a late scare to seal a four-wicket, final-over victory in front of a record-breaking Edgbaston crowd.

Mooney's unbeaten 61 off 47 helped Australia reel in their target of 154 with a ball to spare, giving the tourists a six-nil lead in the multi-format, points-based series.

Australia had looked to be cruising at 2-130 needing 24 off 20, before Sarah Glenn and Lauren Bell intervened as the tourists lost 3-10.

Star spinner Sophie Ecclestone then did everything in her power to defend five off the last over.

Image Id: 4C2CF599ED4C4FE7AF9CAB30EC314511

A powerful straight drive from Annabel Sutherland (9) off the first ball of the 20th over levelled scores, but two dots triggered a panicked slog that only succeeded in top-edging a catch to Jones.

Georgia Wareham and Mooney then scrambled through for a single to seal victory, meaning Australia could retain the Ashes as early as Wednesday’s second T20I at The Oval.

Earlier, Sophia Dunkley anchored England's innings with a 49-ball 56 as Jess Jonassen (3-25) and Megan Schutt (2-33) made inroads to restrict the hosts’ strong batting line-up.

Amy Jones then produced her best white-ball performance against Australia, hitting an unbeaten 40 off 21 balls, as England added 31 runs off the final two overs to scrap their way to a respectable 7-153. 

Jones' four fours and two sixes ignited the 19,527-strong Edgbaston crowd, who only grew louder in voice shortly after the innings break when quick Lauren Bell had Australia skipper Alyssa Healy top-edging to backward point on five.

Tahlia McGrath got up and running with three boundaries off the pace of debutant Dani Gibson as Australia cruised to 1-69 after nine overs.

Needing an intervention, England captain Heather Knight threw the ball to her key weapon in Ecclestone and the left-arm spinner immediately provided, combining with a lightning quick Jones to have McGrath stumped on 40.

Mooney lived up to her reputation as a T20 run machine, bringing up a half-century off 42 balls – her fourth 50-plus score in her last five innings – while Gardner dispatched two enormous sixes over deep midwicket into the Hollies Stand, but was caught behind off the bowling of leg-spinner Glenn for 31 off 23.

Glenn had another a ball later when she bowled Grace Harris (0), leaving Australia 4-130 and requiring 24 from the last three overs.

When that equation became 16 off 12, Knight gave the ball to frontline quick Bell, who duly delivered, bowling Ellyse Perry for seven, briefly inflating England’s hopes as they took the game into the final over.

A win to Australia at The Oval on Wednesday will be enough to retain the Ashes, while England are now in a position where they must win all five remaining white-ball matches to take back the trophy, a tough ask given they haven't beaten Australia in any format since February 2020.

Knight had promised on match eve her side would 'leave nothing in the changing room' and Australian counterpart Healy invited the hosts to show what they could do when she won the toss and opted to field.

No team had scored faster than England in the powerplay since the arrival of coach Jon Lewis last December, with their top-order boasting an average run rate of 8.37 across the first six overs.

But two early blows and a tight bowling display from the Australians restricted England to 2-36 after six.

Opener Danni Wyatt was graced with an enormous slice of luck on one when a Darcie Brown thunderbolt clipped her off-stump but the bails fell back into place.

Image Id: 9D323B322C1647F0AFA1A02E7A958F98 Image Caption: Wyatt survived when a Darcie Brown delivery failed to dislodge the bails // Channel Nine

There was no such luck against Schutt the following over, however, when the Australian spearhead bowled the England opener for seven.

Sharp reflexes from Brown then secured the wicket of Alice Capsey on three.

The 18-year-old had dug out a Brown yorker before taking several strides down the pitch, but she was forced to whirl around and scamper back as Brown collected the ball and threw down the stumps at the strikers' end.

Capsey's desperate effort to make her ground was in vain as replays showed her bat bounced as it crossed the line.

After Jonassen secured the enormous wicket of Natalie Sciver-Brunt on seven, Knight (29) arrived in the middle with her side in tricky situation at 3-51 in eighth over.

She tried to add sorely-needed impetus to their innings when she smacked leg-spinner Wareham over the rope, and she shared in a vital 55-run stand with Dunkley but ultimately came unstuck trying to hit a McGrath slower ball down the ground, instead finding the hands of Sutherland at long on.

The return of Schutt in the 17th over immediately procured the wicket of Dunkley on 56, while Jonassen picked up two in two balls the following over as she removed Gibson (1) and Ecclestone (0).

Having lost 4-12, England's innings was stuttering, but Jones' late flurry ignited the crowd and gave the hosts momentum heading into the innings break.

Wareham dropped the English 'keeper off the bowling of Schutt in the penultimate over and was forced to watch as the ball sailed over her head into the Hollies Stand a ball later; Jones following up with a further two fours and a six to finish unbeaten on 40 off 21.

Australia and England now travel to London for a mouth-watering pair of T20Is at The Oval and Lord's.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

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

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)