What. A. Game.
Not just from Mooney, but Wyatt as well. Duelling banjoes, duelling hundreds, and a pulsating finish to this series. Imagine England had won on Friday, and this game was for the whole bag of prizes?
Ah, perchance to dream.
What a wonderful series it has been. The ODI contests with both teams battling towards a close finish in the first, Rachael Haynes exploding in the second, England hitting back in the third. The Test match with Perry’s double hundred and England’s last-day determination. The Australian celebrations after the first T20, then England’s fightback in Canberra. It has been a fine, fine time to follow the strangest game on earth.
We’ve loved bringing it to you on the OBO, and we hope you’ll go back, read through the old editions, and keep your loved ones in future years informed about what happened in that greatest of Women’s Ashes years, 2017-18. We’ll be back with you when the blokes run around starting this Thursday.
From Geoff Lemon, Adam Collins, and Vithushan Ehantharajah, farewell.
England level the Women's Ashes series 8-8
Yes, it’s the Crazy 88 for Australia and England. The home side retains the Ashes, but it will have the slightly hollow feeling of a retention by the letter of the law rather than the spirit. This isn’t a win, and for England it might feel a bit more like one after coming back to win these last two games.
They should never have been in it tonight. Not remotely close, after an utter masterclass from Beth Mooney. England needed the highest ever T20I run chase in the women’s game... and they produced it.
Australia, of course, was key to letting that happen, with four - count them - supremely easy dropped chances. Healy had two with the gloves, Strano a sitter, and Schutt a simple one. Villani also may have got a hand on one running back, though that was a tougher chance. Australia took none of them. They dropped five catches on Friday and still got away with a comfortable win, but you can’t have the same happen on a consistent basis.
19 overs: England 181-6 (Wilson 5, Gunn 1)
Let me recap - England started that 19th over needing 8 to win. The first ball, Wyatt went down, stumps everywhere. The second was a wide down leg, reducing the target to 7. The third was back to the bowler. The fourth was Wilson edging behind point, with a fielder running back but unable to get there. Then Brunt’s hearty drive took enough of the bat to fly away for four, before she was out from the fifth ball. England had seven balls left, but Wilson only needed one of them. As she does so well, she provides a ramp shot that runs fine to the boundary for four runs.
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ENGLAND WIN BY 4 WICKETS
Would you believe it? You wouldn’t, you really wouldn’t! One ball left in the Kimmince over, and Fran Wilson steps across her stumps and plays a ramp shot over her own head for four!
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WICKET! Brunt c Perry b Kimmince 5
The double strike from Kimmince, as Brunt tries to go over cover and Perry runs around to take the catch! But crucially between those wickets, Brunt edges a four through backward point.
WICKET! Wyatt b Kimmince 100
Another one goes down! I was so engrossed in the game that I forgot to write it down. Wyatt charges, tries to drive over cover again, and loses her middle stump! Full enough and straight enough. Another twist.
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CENTURY for Danni Wyatt!
18th over: England 171-4 (Wyatt 100, Brunt 1)
I’ll say it again - five days ago she had never passed 50 for her country. Tonight she has produced a fifty and a century to her name. 100 not out from 56 balls, and she’s the first England player ever to score one in a T20 International. England need 8 from 13. Perry the bowler, and Brunt the new bat can’t get the last ball of the over past her.
WICKET! Knight run out (Healy)
Or is there another twist in the tail of the tale? Knight flicks two runs to raise her fifty from 35 balls, then sets off for a single and is sent back. It was never there. Healy just had to pick the bouncing ball up, run in and flick the stump. Oh my.
17th over: England 167-3 (Wyatt 99, Knight 49)
Jonassen. The last over available from the dot-merchant. She’s been unhittable so far tonight. She’s hittable now. Times have changed, Jessica! Knight back away to crash four over cover, then goes inside out again and cover drives a six! 15 from the over, 12 needed from 18 balls now, as Wyatt follows Knight’s lead and adds another cover boundary.
16th over: England 152-3 (Wyatt 95, Knight 38)
If anyone can take down Wyatt, it’s a Schutter. But Australia needs a straight Schutter. This is a wide Schutter. Outside off, and Knight cover drives perfectly into the gap for four more. She drives a single, Wyatt flicks one, and then... oh no. Megan Schutt bowls five wides. Looking to curl one into the pads, it keeps going and going, and there’s no way Healy can stop that, even if she hadn’t coated her gloves with spray-on canola oil at the start of the night. Four more, as Wyatt carves through point, then four again as she opens the face. Everything she has tried has worked. She’s within sight of a century. 20 from the over. Beth Whoney?
15th over: England 132-3 (Wyatt 86, Knight 32)
Wyatt is the gunslinger. Sharpshooter. Lines up Kimmince’s medium pace, and plays an outrageous shot. Inside-out square drive. Through the gap at point. Cover and backward are there, but no one square. Four runs. Has a big swing at the next, and edges four more! Genuine nicks are good T20 shots, kids. 12 from the over, Wyatt threatening a second century in the match, and 47 from 30 needed.
14th over: England 120-3 (Wyatt 76, Knight 30)
Four more! Strano back on with the ball, and Wyatt produces some delicate touch, steering through third man! The ball is almost stopped by Jonassen, but her touch can’t stop it reaching the rope. And again! Over cover this time! Gave herself space, lofted that deliberately, inside out and it flies away! Single, then Knight gets two with a reverse shot. They need 59 from 36. This is on.
13th over: England 106-3 (Wyatt 65, Knight 27)
Dropped again! Would you believe this? Heather Knight has been dropped more than Shaun Marsh. Another simple chance for Healy, top edge from Delissa Kimmince this time, and again the ball drops from a height and slips out of the Aussie keeper’s gloves. Again they take a single, and again Wyatt celebrates with a big hit, this time through cover for four. The hundred is up. Is this on? Could this possible be on?
12th over: England 97-3 (Wyatt 60, Knight 24)
Dropped again! Australia shelling them like mussels here today. Knight’s slog-sweep off Gardner goes straight to Schutt on the boundary, who reaches for it like an AFL novice going hard hands for a mark. Can only palm it down. After the single, Wyatt pumps six more over midwicket!.
Fifty for Danni Wyatt!
11th over: England 88-3 (Wyatt 53, Knight 22)
Knight v Wellington is a fair battle. The skipper lofts two runs out to deep cover, then pulls out the reverse to get three more to fine third man. Wyatt goes big, mis-hitting down toward long-on, but Villani running back can’t quite get hands to the ball. Maybe a fingertip. So Wyatt says good, my luck is in, and goes hard over cover. Gardner is on the rope, shuffles back, shuffles back, heels on the fibre, and can’t reach the ball with the leap.
Five days ago, Danni Wyatt didn’t have a single international fifty. Now she has two. This one off 37 balls, the other off 35.
10th over: England 73-3 (Wyatt 44, Knight 16)
Megan Schutt back in to bowl, who has been so good during this series. 18 wickets to date. Nearly has Knight stumped second ball, with Healy up to the stumps, but the captain just got the foot down. Heather Knight’s foot, incidentally, has a stress fracture that will keep her out of the WBBL this season. She’s just pushing through to finish this series. Schutt nearly bowls a great over, but slips the last ball too wide and Wyatt pumps it over cover.
9th over: England 65-3 (Wyatt 38, Knight 14)
“Be thankful for what you have, work hard for what you don’t have.” That’s what the tattoo on Amanda Wellington’s inner left arm says, and that’s the kind of detail and colour I can bring you from following the game around the world. Can’t see it with the long sleeves on. Wellington works hard for an outside edge, but it goes safely past Healy for two runs. She has more hard work to do when Knight smashes four runs over cover, lovely inside out shot to the rope. Wellington does that work to beat England’s captain in flight, but has little reason to be thankful when Strano runs around from short fine and drops the simple catch.
8th over: England 55-3 (Wyatt 36, Knight 6)
Shot! Ash Gardner comes on, and Wyatt greets her first off-break with a whip over midwicket for four. Timing there. Knight plays a reverse for a couple of runs, sweeps a single, then Wyatt doubles down. They’ve moved long-on squarer after her last shot, but she still splits the two fielders in the deep.
7th over: England 43-3 (Wyatt 27, Knight 3)
Ellyse Perry on for her first over. Wyatt welcomes the pace, walloping four runs over mid-off. She mostly has one shot, that slap down the ground, and she used it to fine effect in the first game in Sydney. She tries a cut next ball, but Strano dives and fields atheltically at pint to keep the shot to one. Boundary bound, before that.
England 3/36 after 6 overs. #WomensAshes
— Fiona Bollen (@FiBollen) November 21, 2017
Definitely backs to the wall time.
Think it’s more backs through the wall time. Leaving a crisp, cartoon, England-cricket-team shape in the bricks.
6th over: England 36-3 (Wyatt 21, Knight 2)
Strano bowling. Singles, and a big edge from Wyatt for two. They just can’t connect.
England women look totally spooked chasing this big total. Could lose by 80 runs here.
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) November 21, 2017
WICKET! Sciver
5th over: England 30-3 (Wyatt 17)
“It’s been on the cards,” says Charlotte Edwards. It has been on the cards. The Christmas cards, saying ‘See you next year.’ Sciver’s Ashes tour is done. Jonassen did the job again, just three singles from the over, so Sciver went for a sharp run from the last ball. Elyse Villani set well back at mid-off produced a ripper throw, and broke the stumps well in advance of the sliding bat.
4th over: England 27-2 (Wyatt 15, Sciver 6)
“We’ll do it singles,” Wilfred Rhodes probably didn’t say, and the approach isn’t going to work for England now either. They do work a few runs, then Wyatt tries an almighty and hideous slog to the leg side. Big top edge towards cover. It hangs around longer than an unwelcome housemate. Healy gets around to pitch a tent under it. Then when it finally drops, it bounces through the heels of her hands into her sternum, and onto the ground. Painful, and painful. Sciver slogs next ball and top edges over cover, and Haynes running back does a full 360 trying to find the ball in the air. Nearly falls over her own feet in the Tassie Devil routine, and the ball drops safe.
3rd over: England 20-2 (Wyatt 10, Sciver 2)
England getting ragged and desperate as Sciver comes to the crease. She sprints for a single driven straight to cover, and would have been well out had the throw hit. There’s another dicey single to the on-side, then Sciver drives straight, beats mid-off, takes two, and is nearly run out again trying for a third. Sent back and dives back in. Chillllll, Winston.
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WICKET! Taylor c Haynes b Jonassen 5
And back goes the pendulum the other way! The left-arm spinner again, Taylor leans back as she drives, and Haynes takes a fine diving catch coming forward.
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2nd over: England 16-1 (Wyatt 10, Taylor 5)
England with the advantage in this over. Taylor produces a perfect on-drive for four. Wyatt clouts another straight down the ground. They run hard, hustle, and get 13 from the over. That’s the right stuff.
My colleague is... niche.
3274 the current crowd. Also the postcode for Caramut in western Victoria. Take 100 off that, the #3174 gang would be up and about. #WomensAshes
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) November 21, 2017
1st over: England 3-1 (Wyatt 2, Taylor 0)
Jonassen often opens the bowling, and that’s why. Dots and singles, then the wicket from the fifth ball.
WICKET! Beaumont c Gardner b Jonassen 1
And that doesn’t help. The required rate starts at more than 9 per over, so the pressure is on England to launch immediately. That’s not exactly what Australia did, but it’s harder to take your time in the second innings. Beaumont steps out, tries to clear mid-off, and the left-arm spinner for Australia is very hard to hit.
Right, the job is all ahead of England. This will take the highest ever run chase. The current crowd is 3274, but a final number will come out later.
Can’t tell you how happy I am that Lorde has been played on the PA at every game this Women’s Ashes. What a record. What a songstress. What a tune.
Here’s the Picasso version.
Beth Mooney 117* (70) v England at Manuka Oval
— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) November 21, 2017
4...1.4.4..144.11142...1.1411..4.14.11411.1.424121441112.614.121114444
2nd highest score in Women's T20 Internationals; only Meg Lanning's 126 v Ireland at Sylhet in 2014 is higher#WomensAshes #BeatEngland pic.twitter.com/XgrjKDIFFD
Excuse me a minute while I catch my breath. It feels like I just ran up three flights of stairs. Which we’ve been doing a lot in Canberra. The last hour or so, though, I’ve just been sitting holding the same bit of arancini halfway to my mouth, unable to put it down or finish it off. Beth Mooney, gearing up for the WBBL in the finest possible style.
Australia: 178-2. Mooney finishes on 117 not out from 70 balls!
20th over: Australia 178-2 (Mooney 117, Perry 22) Shrubsole has the job for the last over of the innings. Singles down the ground for each to begin. England will take that. They have a huuuuge job ahead of them. Mooney! Of course she does, through point just as she began the night with square drive to the point boundary. Oh goodness me, this is GENIUS cricket - gets down low to lap the England champion with the most ridiculous timing. More a scoop than a lap. Another four. And another! Three on the trot! This time it is catching height, Wilson diving to her right at full stretch but can’t quite get there. Third highest T20 score for Mooney now. MAKE THAT SECOND! FOUR IN A ROW! Drives the last ball through cover to do it one last time. Blimey, what an ending. 19 fours and one six, 70 balls. You don’t see many better innings than that.
A joy to OBO those 20 overs. What a player, Beth Mooney. Over to Geoff.
Beth Mooney.#UnrealOpener
— Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) November 21, 2017
Beth Mooney the first woman to score a T20 international ton in Australia!
19th over: Australia 160-2 (Mooney 100, Perry 21) Perry holds up her end of the bargain, a single first ball to get Mooney back on strike. Knight takes her time with the field, Hazell with the ball in her hand. Two away. Lovely timing out to point, weight transfer spot on. But only one there, Wyatt racing around from deep cover to ensure she’ll need to play another strike for a hundred. Perry plays another deft little late cut - does anyone play it better? Stopped on the rope from some committed fielding, only two there. Then one down the ground. So we go again, Mooney on 99. Two balls to go. The fielders outside the rope are straight. She drops it into cover and does it! What a century that is! The fifth in World T20s played by women, the first ever in Australia. 65 balls to get there, 15 boundaries and one six. Magical hand. Perry gets in on the party with the last ball, sweeping four to fine leg.
18th over: Australia 150-2 (Mooney 98, Perry 13) Gunn is back on and Mooney is sweeping the first ball for four more behind square! Has a go at getting there in one hit too, but doesn’t get enough of it. Lands just short of Brunt at deep cover. Perry’s turn. Oh, and she’s played the most immaculate late cut. Deep in the crease as we saw so often through her Test Match double ton. Last ball of the over, Mooney is on 96 and back on strike. Will she have a pop? Fielders outside the ring at deep midwicket, deep cover, long-off and long-on... an no. She’s happy enough clearing the ring. Races back for two! Determined running puts her within two of the a rare Women’s T20 international century. 150 up as well.
17th over: Australia 138-2 (Mooney 91, Perry 8) Ecclestone returns from the Pool End. Lovely old pool it is, too. Quick single taken first ball, Perry to the danger end and just back. Another single gets Mooney her second chance in the over. She slices past backward point for two, just into the gap. Excellent comeback from Ecclestone, darting one through the gate after Mooney drives. Is that a missed stumping from Taylor? I think it might be! Rare! Mooney responds the only way she knows how, having a massive swing over midwicket, Brunt unable to hold onto the catch on the rope, parrying it over for Mooney’s first six! She’s into the 90s with three overs to go!
16th over: Australia 127-2 (Mooney 81, Perry 7) Up and over the cover field for four more! Inside-out, perfect from Mooney to begin Gunn’s new over. That makes 120, the run-a-ball mark, with plenty of balls to go. Mooney keeps going, pulling this time through midwicket. Boundaries in consecutive balls. To 80. This is perfect T20 batting from the Queenslander. A ton well within her grasp. 14 boundaries in her stay so far. Keeps the strike with a single out to extra cover again. Another double-digit over, 12 off this.
15th over: Australia 115-2 (Mooney 71, Perry 5) Brunt back for her fourth and final. Perry goes first up, but only enough bat to get a single to third man. Very handy use of her change of pace later in the over, keeping Perry put for three consecutive dots. Field goes out on the legside before the final delivery and she has misdirected that way, a wide signalled. Perry takes a single down the ground to finish it off. Six from it. Five overs to go.
If Warner doesn’t come up, Australia has a readymade replacement in Beth Mooney.#Ashes
— Greg Baum (@GregBaum) November 21, 2017
14th over: Australia 109-2 (Mooney 68, Perry 3) Captain Knight has another go. But it doesn’t work, Mooney nailing a lofted drive down to long on for four more! And again, with a shot far more subtle, paddling to short fine. She’s been outstanding tonight. 12 from the over. Australian rocking and rolling again.
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13th over: Australia 97-2 (Mooney 57, Perry 2) Nicely done by Hazell, racing through the over with the new pair yet to settle. A wide in there, but three runs only. Mini-fightback, maybe, after a couple good overs on the trot.
12th over: Australia 94-2 (Mooney 56, Perry 1)
Before the wicket fell, Mooney was ever so clever playing a delecate dab after charging and readjusting. All-but yorked herself, but had the timing to get it fine enough for another four. She’s still got ample time for three figures, I reckon.
WICKET! Villani b Ecclestone 16 (Australia 93-2)
There’s the second for England. Villani comes down to a quicker Ecclestone delivery, missing a late-cut and that’s the end of that.
11th over: Australia 86-1 (Mooney 50, Villani 15)
Well, they have a plan for Villani. All four fielders outside the circle are on different parts of the legside rope, Hazell coming around the wicket and targeting the pads. But she gets off strike with a single. Villani gets another chance later in the over and tries on a premeditated reverse - down in position before the ball is bowled - making only partial contact. Mooney gets one to cover to the penultimate ball of the set, moving her to another half-century. Nine fours in 38 balls. Doing the job. Villani last ball finds a way through that legside field, whacking it out to long-on for four. Australia on for 160-180 here.
10th over: Australia 78-1 (Mooney 48, Villani 9) Brunt to continue, her third in the spell. Mooney off the front foot is clever, accessing her favoured backward square leg area with a standing little pull-flick off the front foot. Brunt hates it, understandably. Just when England were about to complete a good over, Brunt is lifted over midwicket into the game by Mooney who gets a ninth boundary to finish off the first half of the innings! Fantastic batting.
Beth Mooney has carved up each one of England's bowlers so far. Straight after each change. She's on one. #WomensAshes
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 21, 2017
9th over: Australia 71-1 (Mooney 43, Villani 7) Villani goes hard off Shsubrole’s second ball back into the attack, recording the first six of the evening via a sweep over fine leg. A lot of hang-time, but did enough to clear the rope. That makes it Mooney’s turn to go again, the opener creating room before punching another boundary through the off-side. Her eighth four. Makes it 11 off the over.
8th over: Australia 60-1 (Mooney 39, Villani 1) Wouldn’t be a Manuka game if I didn’t mention the truly magnicicent Jack Fingleton scoreboard we’re looking at across the field, which sat proudly at the MCG until 1981. It was renamed after Fingleton when it made the journey to Canberra because he was a fine Australian opening bat of the Bodyline era that went on to live here as a political journo post-cricket. Nice, ay?
WICKET! Healy c Knight b Brunt 19 (Australia 59-1)
Healy has picked out Knight at extra cover and it is a sharp catch! Looked to be preparing to launch herself after smacking Brunt through midwicket earlier in the over, but the Ian Harvey Slower Ball has done her in, miscuing the attempted slap.
7th over: Australia 54-0 (Mooney 38, Healy 15) Field out, but that ain’t a thing for Beth Mooney. She brings up the Australian 40 with another superb flick over backward square. 40 balls for Australia to reach their first milestone of the night. Jenny Gunn the new bowler here, I should note. A few singles through the rest of it. If Mooney bats 20 overs she’ll easily reach triple figures. Now I’ve said that, you can be sure this lovely little innings will be over inside ten minutes. Sorry in advance, Beth.
6th over: Australia 47-0 (Mooney 32, Healy 14) Katherine Brunt now from the Shops End. Could probably call that the Parliament House End as well, where I spent six years of my life. First ball of her night it is a familiar story, Mooney collecting another four! This is class, on the balls of her feet and steering past point. Fantastic batting. She clips two more from the hip, hard running earning warm applause. The quick does well to fight back, finishing the over with three dots and a single. And that’s the power play.
A couple of those earlier boundaries.
Beth Mooney putting on a show in Canberra! Tune in to @9Gem now!https://t.co/MapxXgqh5R #WomensAshes pic.twitter.com/GsQjOlZ01t
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@SouthernStars) November 21, 2017
Now it's Healy's turn! Super start from the openers.https://t.co/MapxXgqh5R #WomensAshes pic.twitter.com/6YaS7qDkWs
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@SouthernStars) November 21, 2017
5th over: Australia 40-0 (Mooney 25, Healy 14) Healy’s turn, inside-out over extra cover for another four! Hazell gave it some air, but the punchy keeper-bat was easily up to the task. And again: pulling with real force behind square for another! Boundaries six and seven. Tries to make it eight, but miscues, falling well short of Wyatt at deep midwicket. Mooney takes a quick single to finish it off. 11 from that one, and still another to go in the power play.
4th over: Australia 29-0 (Mooney 23, Healy 5) Beth Mooney is on one! Dances at Ecclestone and whacks her over the top, over her head. One bounce, two, over the rope. Then pulls the next, a short ball that sat up. This only bounces one time before registering the same result. Five boundaries for Mooney in four overs. A reminder: she didn’t play in the ODIs earlier this month. Down the ground for one more to keep the strike. Ten from it. They’re away.
3rd over: Australia 19-0 (Mooney 14, Healy 4) Hazell from the Pool End. Healy off strike straight away. Oh that’s filth, waist-high fully that Mooney helps on its way to fine leg for a third four in as many overs. Wyatt comes into the circle at deep point so they can push a second fielder out on the legside - only two allowed out in the opening six over power play. So Mooney goes down the ground instead. Healy retains the strike. This is a good start.
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/7fMYsZi9Ka
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) November 21, 2017
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Mooney 9, Healy 2) Ecclestone, Sophie. From the Cathedral or Manuka Shops End. I love a joint with multiple names for their ends. Especially one named after some shops. Very Canberra. Nice stride in from Healy, taking one to cover. Looking solid early for her part. Mooney uses her feet wonderfully later in the over, making perfect contact with a flick and splitting the gap between long-on and deep midwicket for her second boundary.
This game is live on the telly in both Australia and the UK. Pop it on.
Make sure you tune in now to @9Gem https://t.co/0g2r8ogl0Y
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) November 21, 2017
1st over: Australia 7-0 (Mooney 5, Healy 1) Shoooot. First ball Mooney is away with a delicious square drive. She misses well wide of off-stump, the sundries underway as well. Shrubsole freely admits she hasn’t had her best tour, so she’ll be determined to fight back hard enough. Couple of singles rounds it out, Healy to keep the strike.
So @TheRoarSports asked for the history of the Ashes in a couple of thousand words. Challenge accepted. https://t.co/8bLh9PVjsC
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 21, 2017
Out they race. England on the sprint. Australia’s openers, Mooney and Healy, letting them wait. There are approximately 40 kids still on the field. As Henry Cowen, ECB media boss, says across the press box: “you can’t have that many people inside the ring, I’m afraid.” Good start. Righto. Anya Shrubsole has the ball in her hand, coming from the Manuka Pool End. PLAY!
While we’re waiting for the main event tonight...
Hard to avoid what’s going on in Brisbane. You’ve probably seen Nathan Lyon’s frolic. Now for the Matt Prior return of serve on twitter just before. Goodness me.
Last time someone spouted a whole load of BS about me I stayed quiet not this time.To be clear I may have been playing badly fair enough but there was no way I was getting on a plane home. You’ve embarrassed yourself @NathLyon421 & this game has a funny way of biting back.
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017
I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421. I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017
Rachael Haynes won the toss, Australia to bat first
Never a bad decision at Canberra, no matter what the format or what the occasion. As it happens, the nation’s capital has turned on another gorgeous night. We should be in for a spectacular sunset before the equally spectacular light towers take over.
Teams, you ask? I have them.
England are unchanged from the XI that won at the same group on Sunday. Australia the one change, the aforementioned leggie Amanda Wellington for seamer Sarah Aley.
Australia: Mooney, Healy (+), Villani, Perry, Haynes (c), Gardner, Kimmince, Wellington, Jonassen, Strano, Schutt
England: Wyatt, Beaumont, Taylor (+), Sciver, Knight (c), Brunt, Filson, Gunn, Ecclestone, Shrubsole, Hazell
Welcome to the final Women's Ashes T20!
A month of quality cricket comes to an end in Canberra tonight. Sure, the series-at-large was resolved on Friday night - the Women’s Ashes trophy is staying in Australia. But England are determined to depart home with the T20 mini-series. I’m not sure if that warrants a trophy as such, but it’s certainly something ahead of next year’s World T20. If Heather Knight’s side do get up, they will also finish with an 8-8 points tally across the three formats. Not a bad effort after giving up the first four points on offer.
Adam Collins with you here at Manuka Oval to take you through the first innings, before Geoff Lemon takes the OBO baton for the second. No sign of teams as yet from the warm ups, but I’m reliably informed Amanda Wellington has been recalled to the local XI. We’ll know all when the toss is run and won in a tic. Let’s hope for a fitting finish.
Adam will be here shortly. In the meantime, have a read of Vithushan Ehantharajah’s feature on the fallout from England’s Women’s Ashes loss.
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