AUSTRALIA retained the Women’s Ashes with a whopping 57-run win over England in the first T20I at the SCG. On a flat track, Beth Mooney did the hard hitting with 75 to take the hosts to 198 for 7 before an all-round bowling performance bowled the visitors out for 141 in just 16 overs.
With four wins on the bounce, the hosts lead England 8-0 with only two T20Is and a Test left in the series. It means that England can only equal Australia’s points tally if they win their remaining three games.
Put in to bat, the hosts started with a blaze. They scored 20 off the first two overs laden with seven extras which forced Heather Knight to switch to Charlie Dean early on. Both Mooney and Georgia Voll, who came in for the injured Alyssa Healy, fancied their chances against the off-spinner in a 17-run over which also saw Lauren Bell drop the latter at fine leg and the hosts moved to 38 in three overs. But England continued to be sloppy as Mooney was dropped by Amy Jones.
Voll’s innings was cut short as she was trapped in front by Bell. Phoebe Litchfield and Mooney survived DRS decisions during an interesting passage of play where England conceded only seven runs from overs 4-6. Litchfield broke the shackles with a four and a six off Sarah Glenn in the 8th over.
But Litchfield was run-out once the 50-run stand was brought up thanks to an excellent throw from Knight. Mooney then hit a couple of boundaries to bring up her 50, making the most of the lives she was given.
Meanwhile, England picked up quick wickets of Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland to claw themselves back into the contest. However, skipper Tahlia McGrath had other ideas as she deposited Glenn for 18 runs while Mooney hit Bell for 17 runs off the following over.
In reply and with the Ashes on the line, the tourists got off to a terrible start as both openers Maia Bouchier and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge were dismissed for ducks. However, England launched a counter-attack through Sophia Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt with 36 runs in the next two overs. But Alana King had the latter’s stumps castled to ensure that Australia remained firmly in front.

Despite the regular fall of wickets, Dunkley continued to muscle the ball to the fence and hit three boundaries off Wareham and brought up her fifty soon after. Just when the game was in the balance, King had Knight LBW while McGrath bowled Dunkley after she missed a hook across the line.
A procession of wickets followed as England’s lower order couldn’t keep up with the wittiness of the Australian bowlers. The visitors lost their last six wickets for 31 runs as Australia sealed the Ashes. (Cricbuzz)