England, 285 for 9 (Sciver-Brunt 129, Knight 67), defeated Australia, 199 for 69 runs (DLS method).
Nat Sciver-Brunt delivered her second consecutive century in three days as England defeated Australia in the final ODI at Taunton to claim the 50-over portion of their Ashes series 2-1.
Sciver-Brunt followed her unbeaten 111 off 99 balls on Sunday in Southampton, where Australia won by three runs, with a crucial 129 as the hosts won the rain-affected final game. She and Heather Knight had a 147-run third-wicket stand to rescue England from a dangerous 12 for 2 and, together with Danni Wyatt’s quick-fire 43 off 25 balls, helped boost the hosts to 285 for 9. It was their joint-second-highest ODI total against Australia, who needed to deliver their second-highest successful 50-over run chase to win before rain forced a revised target of 269 from 44 overs.
Kate Cross got three wickets and assisted in the dismissal of the dangerous Ashleigh Gardner, while Charlie Dean and Lauren Bell each took two as the Australians were bowled out for 199, their first defeat in a bilateral ODI series in a decade. England also won the T20I leg 2-1, but it wasn’t enough to reclaim the Ashes, which Australia had held since 2015 and retained on this occasion, with the overall series tied at eight points apiece.
Cross beat Alyssa Healy’s defenses with a wobble-seam delivery that came back in from outside off to clip the top of the middle stump as Australia slumped to 15 for 2.
In the 13th over, Sciver-Brunt bowled three wides that tested wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who then effected a fine stumping off the bowling of Ecclestone, who lured Tahlia McGrath forward and beat the inside edge, breaking a steadying stand worth 53 with Ellyse Perry.
Perry looked as dangerous as she had in Southampton, reaching fifty with a magnificent six over long-on off a free shot after a no-ball from Dean, the offspinner who had taken Sarah Glenn’s spot in the squad after she had appendix surgery on Monday. Cross, on the other hand, returned to the attack and struck twice in as many overs, taking the key wickets of Perry, who skyed to point, and Beth Mooney, who chipped to mid-off.
Australia was six wickets down and needed 103 from 96 balls.
Gardner relieved the pressure by taking 17 off one Bell over, including sixes down the ground and over midwicket, followed by two fours in three balls from Cross en route to 41 off 24 balls, but Cross stayed in the action, collecting a sharp throw from sweeper Wyatt and breaking the stumps at the non-striker’s end as Gardner dived in vain for a second run, and Australia were six down, needing 103 from 96 balls.
England seized the momentum as Sciver-Brunt and Jones combined for Georgia Wareham’s stumping. Dean made sure England didn’t give it back, bowling Annabel Sutherland in the following over for a wicket maiden and collecting the series’ last wicket, Jess Jonassen lofting the ball to Bell at short third after Bell had Alana King caught behind.
Earlier, Sophia Dunkley extended a run of 55 runs in five innings since scoring 56 in the first T20I at Edgbaston when she skied a fuller ball from Gardner high over the covers, where Litchfield turned and made good ground running back to take the catch comfortably after Dunkley had faced 13 balls for just two runs. Megan Schutt hit a full inswinger in the next over, sending Tammy Beaumont teetering onto her stumps and collapsing into the splits as the ball touched the timber.
England had recovered to 43 for 2 by the end of the powerplay, thanks to the budding combination between Sciver-Brunt and Knight. Sciver-Brunt added to England’s fifty with a brilliant drive to the boundary through extra cover off King, whom Sciver-Brunt then dispatched wide of far on, once for four and again for six.
After the first drinks break, England managed only 16 runs in six overs but scored 21 off the next two, with Sciver-Brunt bringing up her fifty by plundering another four through wide long on off Georgia Wareham and Knight moving to 49 on the charge and lofting Wareham over the rope at long-on to bring up the century partnership. Knight brought up her fifty by turning a full McGrath delivery off her pads over fine leg for four, and Sciver-Brunt was on 54 when McGrath dropped a simple caught-and-bowled chance, leaving England 121 for 2 at the midway point of their innings.
The breakthrough for Australia came from King, who enticed Knight down the pitch with a swing and a miss, the ball clattering into her stumps. Sciver-Brunt faced another rebuilding job when Alice Capsey holed out to long-on off Jonassen, and she found a willing companion in Wyatt, who injected plenty of energy with her inventive stroke selection and spirited racing between the wickets.
Sciver-Brunt moved to 99 after turning McGrath to the fine leg boundary and achieved her fourth century in five ODIs against Australia (the other three coming in England defeats) with a single clipped to square leg. Meanwhile, Wyatt made 43 from 25 balls before Gardner struck with a stunning yorker that slid under her bat and slammed into the leg stump.
Jones was run out by a brilliant direct hit from cover by Darcie Brown, who replaced King, who left with a swollen lip after being injured by the ball while fielding. Sciver-Brunt came next, to a standing ovation, when she picked out Gardner at deep midwicket, but she had done an outstanding job for England yet again, and this time it was enough.
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