Australia bear Sciver-Brunt in first ODI series loss since 2013
Nat Sciver-Brunt starred again – this time in a winning cause – with her second successive century in three days as England defeated Australia in the final ODI at Taunton to win the 50-over leg of their Ashes series 2-1.
Sciver-Brunt followed her unbeaten 111 off 99 balls on Sunday in Southampton, where Australia won by thee runs, with a pivotal innings of 129 as the hosts prevailed in a rain-affected final game. She shared a 147-run stand for the third wicket with Heather Knight to rescue England from a perilous 12 for 2 and, along with Danni Wyatt’s rapid-fire 43 off 25 balls, helped lift the hosts to 285 for 9. It was their joint-second-highest ODI total against Australia, who originally needed to produce their second-highest successful 50-over run chase to win until rain halted play for nearly an hour during their pursuit and forced a revised target of 269 from 44 overs.
Kate Cross claimed three wickets and had a hand in running out the dangerous Ashleigh Gardner, while Charlie Dean and Lauren Bell took two each as the Australians were bowled out for 199, consigned to their first defeat in a bilateral ODI series in a decade. England also won the T20I leg 2-1 but it wasn’t enough to win back the Ashes, held by Australia since 2015 and retained on this occasion with the overall series drawn on eight points all.
Bell removed opener Phoebe Litchfield in the second over, Sophie Ecclestone snaring a low catch at slip and Cross beat Alyssa Healy’s defences with a wobble-seam delivery that came back in from outside off to clip the top of middle stump as Australia slumped to 15 for 2 and Healy ended the tour with just two scores above 16 from nine innings, including her half-century in the Test where she also scored a duck.
Sciver-Brunt bowled a wayward over in the 13th with three wides which tested wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who then effected an excellent stumping off the bowling of Ecclestone, who lured Tahlia McGrath forward and beat the inside edge, breaking a steadying partnership worth 53 with Ellyse Perry.
Perry looked threatening, as she had been in Southampton, passing fifty with a huge six over long-on off a free hit after a no-ball from Dean, the off-spinner who had replaced Sarah Glenn in the side after she underwent surgery for appendicitis on Monday. But Cross returned to the attack and struck twice in as many overs with the big wickets of Perry, skying to point, and Beth Mooney chipping to mid off.
Gardner eased the pressure by taking 17 off one Bell over, including sixes down the ground and over midwicket followed by two fours in three balls from Cross en route to 41 off 24 balls, but Cross stayed in the action, collecting a sharp throw from sweeper Wyatt and breaking the stumps at the non-striker’s end as Gardner dived in vain attempting a second run and Australia were six down needing 103 from 96 balls.
When Sciver-Brunt and Jones teamed up for Georgia Wareham’s stumping, England grasped the momentum. Dean ensured England didn’t give it back, bowling Annabel Sutherland in a wicket-maiden next over and claiming the final wicket of the series, Jess Jonassen lofting the ball to Bell at short third after Bell had had Alana King caught behind.
Earlier, Sophia Dunkley extended a lean run in which she has scored just 55 runs in five innings since her 56 in the opening T20I at Edgbaston when she skied a fuller ball from Gardner high over the covers, where Litchfield turned and made good ground running back to take the catch comfortably after Dunkley had faced 13 balls for just two runs. Megan Schutt struck in the next over with a full inswinger that had Tammy Beaumont edging onto her stumps toppling into the splits as the ball struck the timber
England managed to score only 16 runs in six overs after the first drinks break but scored 21 off the next two, Sciver-Brunt bringing up her fifty by plundering another four through wide long on off Georgia Wareham and Knight moving to 49 on the charge and lofting Wareham over the rope at long-on to bring up the century partnership. Knight turned a full McGrath delivery off her pads through fine leg for four to bring up her fifty and Sciver-Brunt was on 54 when McGrath put down a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance so that by the halfway point of their innings England were 121 for 2.
It was King who made the breakthrough for Australia, enticing Knight down the pitch with a swing and a miss, the ball clattering into her stumps. When Alice Capsey holed out to long-on off Jonassen, Sciver-Brunt faced another rebuilding task and she found a willing accomplice in Wyatt, who injected plenty of energy with her enterprising shot selection and lively running between the wickets.
The duo added 66 runs in 43 balls for the fifth wicket, Sciver-Brunt moving to 99 turning McGrath to the fine leg boundary and raising her fourth century in five ODIs against Australia – the other three coming in England defeats – next ball with a single clipped to square leg. Wyatt, meanwhile, added 43 from 25 balls before Gardner produced a brilliant yorker which slid under her bat and crashed into leg stump.
Jones was run out by an excellent direct hit from cover by substitute fielder Darcie Brown moments after she replaced King, who went off with a swollen lip when she was struck by the ball while fielding. Sciver-Brunt followed, to a standing ovation, when she picked out Gardner at deep midwicket but she had done a magnificent job for England once again and this time it was enough.
Brief scores:
England 285 for 9 (Sciver-Brunt 129, Knight 67) beat Australia 199 (Perry 53, Cross 3-48) by 69 runs (DLS method)
(Cricinfo)
