Hometown stars power Aussies to Ashes opener win

Australia have drawn first blood in the Ashes, as Ashleigh Gardner's all-round dominance and Alyssa Healy's 70 paved the way to a solid four-wicket win in the opening ODI.

Healy rose to the occasion in front of a sellout crowd of 6236 at North Sydney Oval, stroking 11 boundaries in her 78-ball innings as Australia reeled in England's below par total of 204 all out with 11.1 overs to spare.

Gardner was a force with bat and ball, hitting an unbeaten 42 from 44 deliveries after earlier putting England in a spin, taking 3-19 from 6.1 overs.

That haul including the key wickets of England captain Heather Knight (39) and star allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt (19) – who were both left to rue their shot selection against the off-spinner.

It was not an entirely straightforward chase for the hosts, who lost six wickets on their way to their target, but they nonetheless take a 2-0 lead in the multi-format series ahead of Tuesday's second ODI in Melbourne.

Healy's half-century was her first in the format since Australia met South Africa at the same venue 12 months ago, and capped off a day that also saw her successfully reclaim the 'keeping gloves for the first time since she injured her knee in the WBBL in November.

The Australia skipper was given out lbw on four but overturned the decision, and went on to share key partnerships with Beth Mooney (28) and Gardner to put her team within 40 runs of victory when she was bowled by Charlie Dean in the 32nd over.

A slightly stuttering finish saw Tahlia McGrath (2 from 14) fall before Gardner was given a let off when Sophie Ecclestone put down the simplest of chances at mid-off – one that would have had Australia seven wickets down with 22 runs still required – but the allrounder recovered to ice victory.

Earlier, needing to pull off something special with the ball to defend their below-par total, Lauren Filer gave her team the ideal start when she had Phoebe Litchfield (4) edging behind in the second over of Australia's chase.

A busy period of third umpire action then saw Healy successfully overturn an lbw decision, before England burnt a review when they thought they had Ellyse Perry caught behind on six – but UltraEdge revealed it had clipped thigh pad.

Perry was then dropped by Alice Capsey, but England had it right three overs later when the allrounder was trapped on the pads by Lauren Bell.

Initially given not out, ball tracking showed the Perry was indeed plumb lbw and she had to return to the dugout for 14.

Mooney steadied alongside her skipper and then looked to target Ecclestone as she dispatched the left-arm spin star into the crowd, but she was caught out a ball later looking to repeat the dose, leaving the Aussies 4-124 before Healy and Gardner took control.

Australia had earlier put the tourists in to bat on a sunny Sydney morning, and the spinners turned the screws and England's senior batters were left to rue several poor shot selections as they were bowled out for 204 in 43.1 overs.

Megan Schutt thought she had picked up the first wicket of the Ashes when she bowled Maia Bouchier in the first over of the match, but the English opener survived when replays revealed Schutt had overstepped by the barest of margins.

Her reprieve was short-lived, and she edged behind off the bowling for Kim Garth (2-46) three overs later for nine, while Tammy Beaumont was bogged down before she finally had to depart for a 31-ball 13.

Knight laid the foundation as she helped England to 2-92 after 19 overs and looked to be marching towards a half-century.

But she would likely rather not rewatch her own dismissal, as she was well caught by Perry at deep midwicket after attempting to slog sweep a wide delivery from Gardner. 

Sciver-Brunt (19) made an ominous start, hitting a six off the bowling of King (2-35), but she then fell in near-identical circumstances to her skipper – and just two overs later – eyeing the short boundary on the sweep but only managing to pick out Perry.

Amy Jones (31 off 30) hit four fours and a six to turn the momentum briefly back in England's favour, but after she chipped a return catch to King, leaving her team 5-146, there was not a great deal of resistance from the lower order as the last six wickets fell for 58 runs.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge chipped in with a 52-ball 38, but when she was dismissed in the 42nd over, England lost 3-12 in two overs to be all out for 204. 

Both teams will travel to Melbourne on Monday ahead of Tuesday's second Ashes ODI at the CitiPower Centre.

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 2-0

First ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Second ODI: January 14: CitiPower Centre, Melbourne, 10.05am AEDT

Third ODI: January 17: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 10.05am AEDT

First T20I: January 20: SCG, Sydney, 7.15pm AEDT

Second T20I: January 23: Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7.15pm AEDT

Third T20I: January 25: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 6.45pm ACDT (7.15pm AEDT)

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: January 30 - February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: TBC

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia from Jan 12 - Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub