In a sensational twist, England clawed their way back into contention in the Women’s Ashes with a stunning bowling performance to skittle Australia for just 180 in the second ODI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.
England’s Spin Twins Turn The Tide
After Australia raced to 131-2 in the 24th over on the back of solid knocks from Alyssa Healy (29), Phoebe Litchfield (29) and Ellyse Perry (60), England’s spin duo of Sophie Ecclestone and Alice Capsey triggered a dramatic collapse.
Ecclestone, the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler, led the charge with figures of 4-35 from her 10 overs. The lanky left-armer made the crucial breakthrough, trapping the well-set Litchfield lbw for 29.
I just tried to keep things simple and bowl my best ball. It’s great to contribute to the team and help put us in a good position.
Sophie Ecclestone after her 4-wicket haul
Capsey’s Game-Changing Spell
But it was 18-year-old off-spinner Alice Capsey who truly turned the game on its head with a mesmerizing spell. Capsey’s 3-22 in the middle overs included the massive scalp of Ellyse Perry, who was trapped lbw for a classy 60.
As soon as it hit the pad, I knew it was close. To see it going on to hit the stumps was a great feeling. Hopefully we can now chase these runs down.
Alice Capsey reflects on Perry’s dismissal
Remarkably, Australia lost 5 wickets for just 22 runs as they crumbled from 131-2 to 153-7, with Capsey and Ecclestone weaving their magic. It was Australia’s lowest ODI total since 2009.
England Set 181 To Level Series
With Australia bowled out in the 45th over, England will need 181 runs to win the match and draw level at 2 points apiece in the multi-format Women’s Ashes series.
Captain Heather Knight marshaled her troops superbly in the field, while the pace duo of Lauren Bell and Kate Cross kept things tight. But the star performers were undoubtedly Ecclestone and Capsey.
- Sophie Ecclestone: 10-2-35-4
- Alice Capsey: 7-0-22-3
- Lauren Bell: 7-0-30-2
England now have a golden opportunity to get right back into the series with 4 white-ball games worth 2 points each still to come. The coveted Women’s Ashes trophy is suddenly up for grabs again.
Hold on to your seats as we bring you live updates of England’s run chase. Can they pull off a famous victory or will Australia’s star-studded bowling attack prove too hot to handle? Stay tuned to find out!
