The Women's Ashes had just started it's T20 leg, with England up 6-4
on points, Chelmsford was the venue, and England won the toss and
batted. Charlotte Edwards crashed 11 off the first over from Ellyse
Perry before falling to Sarah Coyte next over for 17. Julie Hunter then
snared Heather Knight for 13 as England posted 42-2 off the powerplay.
Danni Wyatt and Sarah Taylor then added the bulk of the runs as Taylor
was particularly violent straight and square as runs were easily found
off Hunter and Jess Jonassen as England reached 76-2 halfway through.
England
were cruising along, Taylor completing her 50 from 37 balls with a
boundary off Rachael Haynes as well as bringing up the 100, and the pair
carried on, not hitting many boundaries, but rotating the strike well
and the score had reached 126 when Wyatt's luck ran out (literally) as a
direct hit from Haynes found her short for 28. Australia kept the last
three overs tight as Jonassen, Coyte and Erin Osborne only went for 20
with Taylor swinging at every ball, she was finally bowled off the last
ball of the innings for 77 about halfway down the pitch by Osborne (the
pick of the bowlers with 1-22 from 4). This left England with 146-4, a
good total that would test the Australian top order if they were to
succeed, with their hitters needing to fire.
Australia began
slowly, with 8 from the first two overs, the pressure telling, as Meg
Lanning was run out for 2 from a direct hit from Arran Brindle. Alyssa
Healy fell in the same over well taken by Taylor off Brunt, 10-2. Jodie
Fields and Jess Cameron needed runs, but got in a tangle, Danni Hazell
being played out for a maiden in her first over, Aus 26-2 after the
powerplay. Fields was then bowled by Jenny Gunn for 6, 27-3. Cameron
upped the rate with 10 off Gunn's next over (including a straight six),
but Australia were being tied down by England, and were 49-3 halfway
through. Any hope was killed off soon after as Cameron (caught and
bowled Gunn 35) and Blackwell (caught Greenway off Wyatt going for a
huge heave 20) fell in consecutive overs, by this time the required rate
was 12 an over and Perry and Haynes were left with too much to do, even
though they did some damage to Gunn, Hazell and Brunt's figures, they
were left with 25 needed from the final over and they completed a 50
partnership, but finished 15 short, 131-5, Perry 30 off 20. For England
it was a good fielding and bowling display, apart from when Edwards
dropped a sitter at square leg that lobbed straight to her, as Gunn
(2-33) and Hazell (0-18 from 4) were the best bowlers. England take it
to within 1 more win of regaining the Ashes trophy as the teams move on
to Southampton.
