Spinners spark horror England A collapse as Aussies take 2-0 lead

Australia A spinners Amy Smith and Charli Knott have orchestrated a spectacular English batting collapse to give the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in one-day leg of the 'A' series.

NSW wicketkeeper-batter Tahlia Wilson (68 off 82 balls) continued a fine summer with the bat to lead the Aussies' 8-261 batting first at Cricket Central in the second 50-over contest against England A on Friday.

In reply, opener Grace Scrivens (45) and Hollie Armitage (20) gave the visitors a bright start as they added 46 runs for the second wicket after Hannah Darlington bagged the initial breakthrough of Seren Smale for nine.

But leg-spinner Smith (3-13) turned the chase on its head when she struck with her first two balls of the match, removing Scrivens and then the dangerous Alice Capsey for a golden duck.

Ella Hayward, fresh off winning the Sharon Tredrea Award as Victoria's player of the WNCL season last night, then removed the other set batter Armitage before Smith struck again in her second over to leave the English floundering at 5-87 having lost 4-6 in 20 balls.

Tess Flintoff made it a collapse of 5-13 in the next over when she had Bess Heath caught behind for four, before the introduction of Knott (4-14) in the 24th over brought the game to a rapid conclusion.

The Queensland off-spinner claimed the final four wickets, including the last two of Mahika Gaur and Alexa Stonehouse for ducks in the same over as England A collapsed to 136 all out to hand home side a comfortable 125-run win.

After skipper Nicole Faltum earlier chose to bat at the toss, her fellow wicketkeeper Wilson anchored Australia A's batting effort after star player Georgia Voll failed to back up her first-game century by falling for 18.

Left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon (3-47 from 10 overs) claimed the prized scalp, snaring three of the first four wickets to fall as Wilson consistently lost partners after promising starts.

The 25-year-old, playing as a batter only in this match, is the reigning WNCL player of the season following a strong campaign with NSW but was coming off ducks in her last two innings. She hit five boundaries to break her mini-rut, though left her side at 5-146 when Australia A lost wickets in consecutive overs.

Lower-order rearguards from Faltum (24 off 31) and Hayward (35 off 53) got the hosts above the 200-run mark but they then lost 3-17, all three taken by England-capped speedster Issy Wong (3-51).

But second-to-last pair Darlington (26no from 14) and Smith (16no off nine balls) took advantage of a sloppy finish from England A.

Gordon conceded 20 from her final over, with one of two sixes off a free hit after bowling a chest-high no-ball, as Darlington and Smith pounded 41 from the final three overs of the innings.

The third and final one-dayer will be played at the same venue on Monday before a four-day match begins on April 12.

Australia A v England A

First T20 | England A won by three wickets

Second T20 | No result

Third T20 | Match abandoned without a ball bowled

First OD| Australia A won by five wickets

Second OD| Australia A won by 125 runs

Third OD| April 7: Cricket Central, Sydney, 9.45am AEST

Four-day game | April 12-15: Cricket Central, Sydney, 9.30am AEST

Australia A T20 squad: Heather Graham (c), Charli Knott (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Anika Learoyd, Rhys McKenna, Madeline Penna, Amy Smith, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson (wk)

Australia A 50-over squad: Nicole Faltum (c/wk), Charli Knott (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Amy Smith, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson

Australia A Four-Day squad: Charli Knott (c), Nicole Faltum (vc/wk), Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Lilly Mills, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

England A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage, Georgia Davis, Mahika Gaur, Jodi Grewcock, Bess Heath, Emma Jones, Freya Kemp, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Charis Pavely, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Bryony Smith, Alexa Stonehouse, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong

England A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage, Alice Capsey, Georgia Davis, Mahika Gaur, Kirstie Gordon, Jodi Grewcock, Bess Heath, Emma Jones, Freya Kemp, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Charis Pavely, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Bryony Smith, Alexa Stonehouse, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong

England A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage, Alice Capsey, Georgia Davis, Kirstie Gordon, Eva Gray, Jodi Grewcock, Bess Heath, Freya Kemp, Charis Pavely, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Alexa Stonehouse, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong