Rain washes out England fight as Aussies complete Ashes win

England have fallen agonisingly short of their first win of the Ashes series in bizarre circumstances, with heavy rain ending the second T20I in Canberra with just five balls remaining in the match.

Heather Knight had powered her way to 43 from 19 deliveries to keep England alive in their pursuit of 186 on a stormy night at Manuka Oval, but her charge – and her team – were left stranded 18 runs shy of their target when the sudden torrential downpour hit in the final over.

With no resumption possible, Australia held on for a six-run (DSL) victory to officially win the points-based, multi-format series outright with a T20I and the Test remaining. 

Knight had arrived in the middle with England needing an increasingly unlikely 87 off 43 needed.

While Australia managed to keep the shackles on Natalie Sciver-Brunt (22 off 20), Knight rose to the occasion at a ground she famously enjoys.

As the required run rate crept above 15 in the 17th over, Knight hit the accelerator as 39 runs came off the next three overs to keep England's hopes alive.

Needing 22 off six, stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath threw the ball to Annabel Sutherland and Australia's tardy over rates left just three fielders outside the ring.

Knight hit the first ball for four, making it 18 off five, but when the umpires signalled for the covers in increasingly heavy rain, the England captain tossed her bat aside in frustration.

Australia now lead the series 10-0 with the third and final T20I to be played at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Earlier, McGrath (48no off 35) and Grace Harris (35no off 17)'s record sixth-wicket 71-run stand saw Australia post 5-185.

Knowing wet weather was approaching, opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge (52 off 40) got England's chase off to a rapid start, hitting eight boundaries through the Powerplay.

Her alertness to the situation was evident when there was a flash of lighting at the five-over mark – the minimum number of overs required for a result – and both she and opening partner Maia Bouchier immediately sprinted from the ground, only to be waved back by the umpires.

Bouchier miscued a ramp on 13 to give Annabel Sutherland a simple return catch, but the in-form Sophia Dunkley (32 from 22) joined Wyatt-Hodge to keep England's nose slightly ahead of the par score in increasingly heavy rain, which briefly delayed play after 8.4 overs.

With the wet ball negating the impact of the Australian leg-spinners and causing issues in the field, the England pair kept up the attack when the game resumed.

A double-strike from Megan Schutt removed both in the 34th over, bringing the experienced pair of Sciver-Brunt and Knight together with 87 off 43 needed.

When the rain that had seemed certain to prematurely end proceedings temporarily evaporated, it forced a shift in approach for England as par score concerns became the secondary worry – until it returned with a vengeance in the final over.

Earlier, with Australia again missing captain Alyssa Healy (foot) and star allrounder Ashleigh Gardner (calf) as they were sent into bat, Beth Mooney's 31-ball 44 gave the hosts a strong start before the unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 71 off 35 between McGrath and Harris bookended the innings of 5-185.

England's fielding came into focus again when both were given let offs, with Harris – who had just dispatched Charlie Dean onto the hill – surviving after a mix-up should have seen her run out on eight.

McGrath was then dropped during a hectic 19th over that saw the Australian vice-captain hit a quartet of fours off Sophie Ecclestone; two of those getting to the boundary thanks to misfields, while she was also put down by Dean in the deep. 

Harris then hit a further two boundaries as 17 runs came off Lauren Bell's final over to leave England needing their highest chase at Manuka.

Earlier, Mooney got the Australians off to a flyer, dominating the strike through the Powerplay and hitting seven boundaries. 

Georgia Voll had faced just five balls for five runs by the final ball of the fifth over when she was caught short attempting an ambitious third run, ending a 47-run opening stand. Mooney joined her opening partner in the dugout when she was stumped off an Ecclestone wide, with Amy Jones' swift glovework ending her 31-ball knock. 

Phoebe Litchfield's first boundary came via a trademark reverse sweep, and she found the boundary twice more before she was bowled attempting to reverse scoop Dean, exposing her stumps to the off-spinner.

Ellyse Perry (2) departed cheaply and Sutherland's promising start ended on 18 off 11 as England tied Australia down through the middle overs, before McGrath and Harris' big finish took the hosts to 5-185.

Australia and England will now travel to Adelaide for the third and final T20I, to be played at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 10-0

First ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs

First T20I: Australia won by 57 runs

Second T20I: Australia win by 6 runs (DLS Method)

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

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 until Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub