Ruthless Aussies sweep Ashes with dominant innings Test win

Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner have spun Australia to a famous innings-and-122-run victory in the day-night Ashes Test at the MCG, sealing an unprecedented multi-format series sweep.

King had the pink ball on a string bowling from the Shane Warne Stand end, collecting 5-53 as the Test ended inside three days, backed up by Gardner's 4-39 as England capitulated for 148 in 68.4 overs.

The Victorian leg-spinner finished the Test with figures of 9-98, as she became the third Australian in this match to add their name to the MCG honours board after Beth Mooney had earlier brought up her maiden Test century in the sixth ball of the day. 

Australia had come into the series vowing to make amends for their 2023 tour of the United Kingdom that saw them relinquish a 6-0 advantage to ultimately draw with England at eight points apiece.

In the space of just 22 days, Alyssa Healy's team have achieved that goal in devastating fashion, trouncing a sore and sorry England 16-0, and ensuring the tourists – who had arrived Down Under in early January adamant they had closed the gap between themselves and Australia – will face difficult questions when they disembark at Heathrow Airport in the coming days.

It is the first 16-0 result since the introduction of the points-based Ashes in 2023; previously, a 12-4 scoreline had been the most lop-sided outcome between the fierce rivals.

Mooney set a new record for most runs in a multi-format Ashes, finishing with 409 at 68.16, while King has made a solid case for herself as the world's premiere leg-spinner, taking 23 wickets at 11.59, the equal-highest Ashes haul alongside Gardner's 23 in 2023.

King edged out her teammate to be awarded the coveted Peden-Archdale medal as player of the series.

The one-sided result came despite Healy and Gardner missing the T20I leg through injury, and with Ellyse Perry's contribution to the Test limited to two runs as she was sidelined with a corked hip.

On Saturday afternoon, there were some brighter moments from the tourists after they had endured their worst day of a grim tour 24 hours earlier. 

They bowled and fielded superbly in the first hour to bowl Australia out for 440, with the hosts having added just 18 runs to their overnight total – although they still found themselves facing a gaping first-innings deficit of 270 runs.

Then, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight put Australia's pace attack under pressure through a 73-run second-wicket stand. 

But once Australia's spinners entered the fray, the runs dried up and it was Gardner who broke the resistance, as Knight bunted a catch directly to Phoebe Litchfield at short leg, the Australian hanging on to send the England captain on her way for 32. 

From there, the floodgates opened as England lost their final nine wickets for 69 runs.

Natalie Sciver-Brunt, England's top-scorer from their first innings, looked to assert herself early against Australia's spinners, hitting three boundaries.

But for the fourth time this series, and second time this Test, she was dislodged by King, who trapped the allrounder lbw with one that turned less than her previous deliveries, and an optimistic review wasn't enough to save Sciver-Brunt who departed for 18. 

It was the fifth time in eight innings Sciver-Brunt fell to leg-spin, with Georgia Wareham also claiming her wicket during the white-ball leg.

King followed up with a superb delivery that spun sharply through Sophia Dunkley's defences and into her off-stump, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge's miscued sweep off Gardner went directly to Darcie Brown at short fine leg.

Beaumont's 124-ball resistance ended on 47 when she was chopped King on, giving the leggie her third, and as the clock ticked over to 7pm, Amy Jones (6) prodded forward aiming to deflect Gardner safely away, but it instead caught the outside edge, with Mooney holding on to a sharp catch.

It ensured Australia went into the dinner break having captured all of England's established batters and just three tail end wickets left to take, with the tourists 7-117 and still 153 runs away from making Australia bat again.

King's fourth came when second-gamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay heaved the leg-spinner's worst deliveries of the day, if not the series – a high full toss – directly to Brown at deep midwicket. 

Ecclestone followed in similarly soft fashion to give Gardner her fourth, leaving the Australian spinners to battle it out for the final scalp and a five-wicket haul, with the 11,804-strong crowd fully invested in a contest that, unlike the match itself, did not have an inevitable outcome.

England's No.10 and 11, Laurens Filer and Bell, admirably strung the battle out over 11.2 overs, with Filer contributing all 14 runs of their partnership.

But ultimately, and fittingly, it was King who secured the Filer's wicket, caught by Annabel Sutherland at silly mid-on, putting the icing on three weeks of Australian domination. 

Earlier, Brown claimed the first wicket, ending Maia Bouchier's grim tour on an emphatic note, ripping out the opener's middle stump and sending her on her way for one. 

Her 12-ball innings ended a series where Bouchier scored 42 runs in seven innings, had a high score of 17 and lost her spot in the T20I XI. 

When play got underway on a hot Melbourne afternoon, Australia managed to add just 18 runs to their overnight total as a much sharper England held their catches to trigger a collapse of 5-9.

Bizarrely, the injured Perry strode out to bat at No.10 behind King and Kim Garth, hitting two runs before becoming the final wicket to fall.

Ecclestone's marathon 44 overs with the ball were rewarded with a five-wicket haul, the second in women's Tests at the MCG, and the first since Australian leg-spinner Peggy Antonio took 6-49 in 1935.

But first, Mooney etched her name into the record books, becoming the first Australian woman to hit a century in all three international formats.

Mooney resumed on 98 and was on strike to begin the first over of the day from Ecclestone.

She faced five dot balls – including a nervy attempt at a single before she was sent back by partner Tahlia McGrath – before the 31-year-old drove through the off-side and ran the two required to bring up the milestone from 155 deliveries.

Mooney pumped her fist in delight before she removed her helmet and gestured to the almost 6000 people who had ensured they were inside the MCG for the first ball of the day. 

Shortly after, she passed 405 runs for this multi-format series, breaking Sciver-Brunt's Ashes record of 404 from the 2023 edition in the United Kingdom.

She was eventually dismissed for 106 as the final five Australian wickets fell inside the first 50 minutes of the day.

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 16-0

First ODI: Australia won by four 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 won by six runs (DLS Method)

Third T20I: Australia won by 72 runs

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: Australia won by an innings and 122 runs

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

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 16-0

First ODI: Australia won by four 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 won by six runs (DLS Method)

Third T20I: Australia won by 72 runs

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: Australia won by an innings and 122 runs

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