2 weeks Ago By The Roar
Australia have retained the women’s Ashes after Beth Mooney went ballistic at the SCG and England fell in a heap to lose their fourth match on the trot. The series has been all Australia after the first three ODIs and now the opening T20 have gone to the home side and even without injured captain Alyssa Healy (foot) and star all-rounder Ash Gardner (calf), they did it in a canter on Monday night. Mooney blasted 75 runs from 50 balls to lead the charge for the hosts, who were being sent in to bat, as they racked up 7-198.
Spin twins Alana King (2-14) and Georgia Wareham (3-25) tore through the England batting line-up to bowl them out for 141. More Cricket All-rounder Tahlia McGrath snared the crucial wicket of Sophia Dunkley for 59 off just 30 deliveries after her innings, which featured six fours and four sixes, threatened to get England to what would have been the equal second-largest run-chase in women’s T20I history. But when McGrath bowled her, the tail went down swinging with the final six wickets falling for just 21 runs.
Mooney, after playing the steady hand alongside debutant Georgia Voll (21) early on, cut loose after drinks for a 23rd T20I half-century, and ultimately her third-highest T20I score. Having won all three One Day Internationals, Australia can’t be chased down on points aggregate even if they lose the remaining two T20Is and the one-off Test match. Mooney rode her luck after being given lives on 16 and 23 runs, first dropped by wicketkeeper Amy Jones.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images) She then breathed a sigh of relief as her shot high to cover was inexplicably allowed to bounce by Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlie Dean, the pair miscommunicating just outside the circle. The sloppy fielding came after Lauren Bell dropped a regulation chance at fine leg that could have dismissed Voll on 13, but England tightened their act up in the field after drinks to get back in the game. Captain Heather Knight ran Phoebe Litchfield (25) out with a direct hit from 20 metres away after the young gun helped Australia to 1-90 after 10 overs with some dangerous switch-hitting.
Jones stumped Ellyse Perry (7) by the barest of margins, and England would’ve felt right in the game at 4-121 when fellow all-rounder Annabel Sutherland (3) holed out to midwicket. Sophia Dunkley was looking to take the game away before Tahlia McGrath uprooted her stumps #Ashes pic.twitter.
com/aaDAGBYqr4 But Mooney clicked into gear alongside swashbuckling stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath (26 off 9 balls) Bell was a favourite victim, with Mooney slapping the quick for three fours – all behind the wicket – in the space of four balls in the 16th over. She drilled Sarah Glenn’s full toss straight down the ground for four in another highlight of her blistering innings. Roar editor Christy Doran made the trip to Seattle with VisitSeattle.
org, diving into the city’s electric sports vibe, outdoor adventures, and renowned food scene. Click here for his latest adventure in the Emerald City. Mooney was eventually stumped by Jones in the 18th over off Freya Kemp’s bowling, walking back to the pavilion as the umpire reviewed the play.
Maia Bouchier sent a scare through the England camp after appearing to hurt her left shoulder diving to save a boundary in the 15th over. Play stopped for staff to attend to the opener, who managed to play on. with AAP.
