In a heart-pounding second Women’s Ashes ODI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, England came within a hair’s breadth of leveling the series after staging a remarkable fightback with the ball. However, a spirited Australian bowling effort led by Alana King ensured the hosts held their nerve to secure a 21-run victory and push their lead to 4-0 in the multi-format series.
Australia’s Middle-Order Crumbles
England began the day in emphatic fashion, ripping through Australia’s vaunted middle-order after the hosts opted to bat first. The unlikely hero was 19-year-old Alice Capsey, who combined with the ever-reliable Sophie Ecclestone to trigger a stunning collapse that saw Australia lose 8 wickets for just 49 runs.
Capsey, who had a forgettable outing in the series opener, bounced back in style, bamboozling the likes of Annabel Sutherland, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner with her crafty off-spin. Her figures of 3/22 in seven overs, combined with Ecclestone’s customary precision, helped skittle Australia out for a modest 180 – their lowest total batting first in a home ODI since 2009.
Alana King Strangles England
Chasing 181 for a historic win, England found themselves in all sorts of trouble against the wily leg-spin of Alana King. Introduced into the attack after the first drinks break, King made an instant impact, dismissing the dangerous Danni Wyatt-Hodge for a golden duck before accounting for Nat Sciver-Brunt shortly after.
King continued to apply the pressure, inducing false shots from Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone to finish with outstanding figures of 4/25 from her 10 overs. At 125/8, England’s hopes seemed to be fading fast.
Amy Jones’ Valiant Effort Falls Short
But Amy Jones refused to throw in the towel. The wicketkeeper-batter found able allies in the determined Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell as she farmed the strike brilliantly in a tense finale. With four dropped catches and chaotic scenes off Annabel Sutherland’s final over, England suddenly sensed an unlikely opening.
Alas, it wasn’t to be for the visitors, as Jones’ patient knock of 47 came to an end with England still 22 runs short when Bell was cleaned up by Megan Schutt. The narrow loss will leave England ruing what could have been, especially after doing all the hard work to restrict Australia to a gettable total.
If we couldn’t even beat Australia on a day when their middle-order turned to rubble, then when can we?
– England’s question to themselves
With the series scoreline now reading 4-0 in Australia’s favor, England will need to regroup quickly before the third and final ODI in Hobart on Friday. The biggest positive they can take from this game is the performance of their bowlers, especially Capsey’s coming-of-age spell, while Jones’ fighting effort with the bat should also give them hope.
However, the brutal reality remains that unless they find a way to consistently pressure this Australian outfit in all departments, their Ashes dreams will remain just that – dreams. Tuesday’s enthralling encounter proved England have the talent and tenacity to challenge the mighty Aussies, but the final push still eludes them. The question is, will they be able to take that next step in Hobart and keep the series alive?
