It was a tale of two captains at Bristol as Meg Lanning’s perfectly timed century helped Australia to a 63-run victory in the second Ashes one-day international.
Lanning formed the backbone of Australia’s innings and England always looked short of their 260-run target. Lanning’s golden touch extended to her captaincy. Not afraid to switch her bowlers to try something different, she exposed a frailty in England’s batting.
“It’s important that I lead from the front,” Lanning said. “My job is to score big runs. I’ve got that opportunity and once you get to 50 as a No3, you have to go on. That’s what wins you the game.”
Her counterpart, Charlotte Edwards, stuck with her plans and paid the price. After winning the toss and opting to field, England’s bowlers found themselves facing a positive Australia attack. Elyse Villani miscued one short ball, which led to Katherine Brunt dragging back her length and seeing most of her short balls pulled to the boundary. Anya Shrubsole’s figures appeared economical but her line was poor.
England made the breakthrough when Villani on 35 shaped to cut a wide ball from Rebecca Grundy and edged it through to Sarah Taylor. Nicole Bolton fell shortly after, trying to pull a full Shrubsole delivery that cannoned into her off-stump.
Edwards reacted quickly, bringing Brunt back to face Lanning and the in-form Ellyse Perry. However, the bowler had already bowled five overs in her opening spell and she lacked penetration.
There was then a rotation of Brunt, Shrubsole, Grundy and Kate Cross. England have a huge variety of bowlers in their squad. None of them were called on. It allowed Australia to settle, when England taking a risk could have brought them the wicket they needed. Natalie Sciver was not called on until the 46th over, where she was facing an aggressive Lanning in the final overs of the game. It was an odd decision.
They were not helped by an Australia captain with a point to prove. Lanning displayed her full array of strokes; she used her feet to the spinners, whipped the ball off her pads and looked a class above. Her century, her sixth in ODIs, came from 92 balls with 13 boundaries.
Aided by an unusually becalmed Perry, Lanning put Australia into a strong position. They added 132 before Perry, in her only show of aggression, advanced down the pitch to Heather Knight and was bowled for 48. Lanning fell shortly after, bowled by Sciver’s slower ball.
Australia’s tail fell away quickly, although Alyssa Healy again showed her eye-catching power hitting. Despite losing their last four wickets for 24 runs, Australia made a formidable total.
England began serenely, with Edwards sending anything on her pads to the boundary. Knight, reprieved after an edge behind was judged to have not carried, made 38 before Lanning again swung the game in her team’s favour. Fielding at mid-wicket, she dived, picked up and threw at the stumps in one fluid motion to run out Knight.
Edwards remained calm, registering her 46th ODI half-century, and at 122 for one at the halfway stage, England looked to be in good shape. However, when she fell three balls later, bowled for 58 as she hurried through a pull shot, England’s heads seemed to drop.
“Charlotte going was a turning point,” Knight said. “Wickets throughout the innings cost us and, as a top order, all three of us got starts and if we were to win the game, one of us had to go on and make a big score. We seemed to be cruising it and then those wickets in the middle cost us.”
Amy Jones struggled, making a seven-ball duck as she was bowled heaving across the line. Sarah Taylor played another eye-catching innings but, as is often the case, she rode her luck. She chipped the ball just over the fielder at fine-leg and targeted the spin aggressively. However, when down on one knee, she swung across the line and was adjudged lbw for 43.
England’s tail were undone by some superb bowling and captaincy. Lanning switched her bowlers around, giving her more flexibility. Lydia Greenway was trapped lbw by Sarah Coyte for 20, starting a tail-end collapse in which England lost their final six wickets for 31 runs. For a team who pride themselves on their strength in depth, it was a poor showing, although it was an excellent display of seam bowling from Megan Schutt.
Brunt’s cameo (21no) spared some blushes but once Taylor fell, England looked out of the game. They will need to marshall themselves before the final ODI on Sunday.
