England restricted Australia to just 205 for 9 in the first ODI in Canberra but fell 27 runs short in their chase. They now trail 8-4 with two matches remaining
England captain Heather Knight is targeting two wins in the final two ODIs of the 2022 Women’s Ashes after Australia retained the trophy with a 27-run victory in Canberra.
Knight’s side trailed Australia 6-4 heading into the 50-over leg of the series and needed to avoid defeat in their final three matches to regain the trophy for the first time since 2013-14.
A strong team performance with the ball sent England into the break in good spirits, with Australia restricted to 205 for 9. Katherine Brunt and Kate Cross were central to England’s dominance, picking up 3 for 40 and 3 for 33, respectively, but Beth Mooney’s 73 (91 balls) rescued their hosts from 67 for 4. Nat Sciver (45) and Brunt (32 not out) were the only other players on either side to pass 30.
Unfortunately, England struggled with the bat and were no match for the pace of Darcie Brown (4 for 34) or middle-over dominance of Tahlia McGrath (2 for 34). And despite a valiant 10th-wicket stand between Brunt and Cross, England were all out for 178 with five overs to spare.
Reflecting on her side’s performance, Knight said: "I thought we bowled outstandingly. We really took the game to them, bowled perfectly to the plan and adapted to the pitch. I thought Kate Cross, Katherine Brunt and Anya [Shrubshole] at the top were outstanding.
The winning moment [Mark Evans/Getty Images]
"Beth [Mooney] batted well, a gritty innings, but I think we were quite unlucky. There were a lot of inside edges and things which didn’t go to hands, but we’d have taken 205 at the start.
"[With the bat] we didn’t get partnerships together and didn’t have a set batter. I thought the girls in the lower order fought really well – Crossy might be looking for a little trip up the order! But we weren’t able to get partnerships together and lost wickets at regular moments.
"In the three games we’ve played we haven’t been able to string batting and bowling together and put in that complete performance. That’s what you need to do when you’re playing against one of the best sides in the world. We backed ourselves to chase that down, but they came out hard at us and we lost early wickets. I’m proud of the way the girls fought but unfortunately, the Ashes have gone."
Unsurprisingly, opposition captain Meg Lanning was thrilled with her side’s performance, heaping praise on Mooney, McGrath and Brown for rescuing Australia from a sticky position.
"Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Beth Mooney on that innings," Lanning said. "That was the difference. Every batter found it difficult on that wicket and she was able to battle through and get that match-winning contribution.
"We spoke at the innings break about keeping ourselves in the game, bowling the perfect length, and I think the girls nailed it. Tahlia and Darcie were a great bowling partnership in the middle.
"Darcie’s great. Her ability to take wickets and change the momentum of the game tonight was really crucial for us. [Tahlia] is going from strength to strength. With bat and ball she’s become an important part of our side.
Beth Mooney and Darcie Brown starred for Australia [Mark Evans/Getty Images]
"The most exciting thing for me is to see different players stepping up. It’s not always the ones who’ve been around for a little while, it’s the young kids coming through and that’s really exciting for this group."
England now trail 8-4 but while Knight is disappointed to have failed to regain the Ashes, her focus has immediately shifted to winning the remaining ODIs at Melbourne’s Junction Oval to secure a series draw and make a statement heading into the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.
"We’ve got two more games to nail those performances and put batting and bowling together," she said. "We’re still in with a chance of the drawing the series which is our focus now.
"We’ve gone toe to toe [with Australia] and the mentality this series has been really good. We haven’t been able to get over the line which is a shame and haven’t had that killer instinct. They’re the sort of team that make you pay for it and don’t give you a second chance. But we believe we’re good enough to beat them.
"We just have to reassess, bring our best for the next two games, try and string bat and ball together and be ruthless. Of course, there’s disappointment but we’ve got to try and win games and with the World Cup coming up, our focus turns to that and being in the best shape possible."
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