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10:45 pm local time (5:15 pm IST): So that does it for the night at the SCG! We move to Canberra for the next T20I between these heavyweight teams on the 23rd of January, Thursday, with the first ball at 7:15 pm local time (1:45 pm IST). Make sure to join us for that game as we bring you everything from it! For now, this is the pair of Arya and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda!
Tahlia McGrath (Australia Women captain): We always look forward opportunities. Our players enjoy working hard and putting in the efforts to win. Today, Georgia Voll gave is a strong start, Beth Mooney of course, as good as always, and the overall intent was great. The bowling was decent, but we need to work on our game in the power play, where we gave away quite a few runs. Looking forward to playing at the Manuka Oval now.
Heather Knight (England Women captain): If we could keep them to 20 or 30 runs less, if we could take our chances, get Beth Mooney out early, on this good wicket, we had our chance. Anyway, he backed ourselves to chase it down, lost a few early wickets, but the moment I got out playing the wrong shot, things got tighter. Sophia Dunkley played really well, struck the ball clean and made a strong comeback.
Beth Mooney (Player of the Match): Yeah obviously feeling very confident with the score of 198. We lost our way a little in the middle overs but our bowlers did an excellent job. Wicket was very flat, didn't play too many tricks. I had to work my through the innings. Had a lot of help along the way. Yeah it was really cool. I have seen a lot of Voll, couldn't be proud of her. She came out and took the game from ball one.
10:29 pm local time (4:59 pm IST): Australia Women win by 57 runs with 4 overs to spare, and retain the Women's Ashes with 3 matches to go!
Barring Sophia Dunkley's half-century with a strike rate of 196.67, and Heather Knight's support role for a good 4th wicket partnership with the former, it has been a sorry-looking scorecard for the visitors!
And with that, Australia win four games in a row and keep the urn with them! All of a sudden, England are on the verge of losing the T20Is outright! There are still matches to come, not only in this format but also the Test match, but, the mood in the England camp needs a massive lift.
Dunkley of course, was excellent with her stroke-play. She looks much tighter by her technique and a lot more stable in her stance, helping her not to fall over too much. As long as she played, England looked on course, but the moment she was dismissed, very much all hopes were dashed.
There were efforts lower down the order too to try and resurrect things, but against this Australian bowling attack, it did not work. The leg-spin duo of Georgia Wareham and Alana King weaved their magic especially after the power play, as the innings went along. But Tahlia McGrath's overs came in really handy, getting the wicket of Dunkley and keeping things quiet.
Australia's fielding was better than England's obviously, but what they have to get better at in this format, is their bowling in the power play. After the first two overs, they got whacked all over the park. However, the pressure of the scoreboard was always there on the batters and three early wickets made life even more difficult for the visiting team.
16
overs
141/10score
1W
1
0
0
0
w
runs
Lauren Bell*
0(4)
Freya Kemp
11(6)
Annabel Sutherland
1/20
15.6 Annabel Sutherland to Lauren Bell, WICKET! Australia retain the Ashes. On a good-length around the middle stump channel, Bell swings across the line and ends up getting a top edge, the keeper calls for it early, settles under it and completes the catch comfortably. Australia win by 57 runs.
Well, these are some impressive hard-length balls from Sutherland!
15.5 Annabel Sutherland to Lauren Bell, that zips through the surface, on a good-length and ends up beating Bell.
15.4 Annabel Sutherland to Lauren Bell, a well directed short of a length delivery from Sutherland, Bell misses out on the pull.
15.3 Annabel Sutherland to Lauren Bell, Bell clears her front leg and bunts the fuller one around middle, from the inside half of the bat down towards the mid-on fielder.
15.2 Annabel Sutherland to Freya Kemp, pulls away the slower shorter length delivery around middle, down towards the deep midwicket region and takes a single.
Lauren Bell, RHB, is at the non-striker's end.
A diamond duck for Glenn. Only one wicket away are Australia from retaining the Women's Ashes.
15.1 Annabel Sutherland to Freya Kemp, WICKET! This could be another wicket here. Poor running from Glenn and yes she is short of her ground. On a fuller-length on the pads, Kemp works it away towards the square leg region and sets off for a double, Glenn didn't look interested for the second, had to respond and ends up falling short.
Sarah Glenn run out (Ellyse Perry/Annabel Sutherland) 0 (0b, 0x4, 0x6)
Annabel Sutherland [2.0-0-18-0] comes back into the attack.
Sarah Glenn, RHB, is at the non-striker's end.
With five overs to go now, it is looking harder for England to get close to Australia's total, with only two wickets remaining. But we still believe that going for big shots and not taking it deep is the right option on this surface against this bowling attack. Just that they lost three quick wickets, which did not help.
15
overs
139/8score
0
W
0
0
2
w
runs
Charlotte Dean*
2(4)
Freya Kemp
9(4)
Georgia Wareham
3/25
14.6 Georgia Wareham to Charlotte Dean, WICKET! Dean goes for the sweep and perishes in the process. Flighted on a fuller-length well outside off, Dean shuffles across off, gets down on one knee and goes for the slog sweep, gets a top edge and the keeper Beth Mooney calls for it early and takes it comfortably.
Charlotte Dean c Beth Mooney b Georgia Wareham 2 (4b, 0x4, 0x6)
14.5 Georgia Wareham to Charlotte Dean, punches away the tad shorter length delivery a tad outside off, towards the sweeper cover fielder and comes back for a brace.
14.4 Georgia Wareham to Charlotte Dean, flatter and quicker on a good-length a shade outside off, cut away straight to the point fielder.
14.3 Georgia Wareham to Charlotte Dean, flatter on a good-length outside off, Dean misses out on the sweep.
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Lauren Bell
*
Annabel Sutherland
Video
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