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England 7-153 (Dunkley 56, Jonassen 3-25) were defeated by Australia 6-154 (Mooney 61*, McGrath 40), Australia lead the series 6-0 on points with two T20s and 3ODIs to play.
If England’s men have a mountain to climb in the Ashes, it is merely Scafell Pike compared with the Everest confronting the women after their four-wicket defeat in the first T20 international in front of a 19,527-strong crowd at Edgbaston.
Having lost the only Test match in this multi-format series and now the first white-ball game, England are 6-0 down on points with 10 left to play for, and have, at the very least, to win four and tie one of the remaining five games against the 20- and 50-over world champions.
Beth Mooney starred for Australia with 61 not out from 47 balls.Credit: Getty Images
But it turned into a close run thing and may have swung England’s way at the death but for Heather Knight’s decision to save her best bowler, Sophie Ecclestone, for the 20th over. Instead, opener Beth Mooney (61 not out), and Georgia Wareham steered Australia home in a tight chase.
Amy Jones’ late blitz after England were put in to bat gave them something to defend when they were in grave danger of falling far too short. It also electrified an exuberant crowd, the Hollies as boisterous as ever not nearly as trollied.
Jones’ stumping of Tahlia McGrath off Ecclestone for 40 off 29 balls revived hope and, though that was almost extinguished by a 61-run partnership between Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner, Sarah Glenn struck twice in two balls to dismiss Gardner and Grace Harris to leave Australia needing 16 from 12 balls.
That was the moment for Ecclestone. The 19th over is seldom not pivotal in a tight run chase. But Knight instead chose to go with pace. Lauren Bell duly ripped out Ellyse Perry with a gorgeous leg-cutter but, with ball coming nicely on to the bat, Annabel Sutherland pulled her first ball for four and Mooney punctured the rising optimism by smearing four more over cover.
It left Ecclestone defending just five runs and Sutherland immediately levelled the scores with a lofted, straight drive for four. Even so Ecclestone did her best to salvage a tie, almost effecting a run-out of the non-striker when diving to divert a hammered straight drive and then bagging Sutherland off a top edge, Jones running round to silly-point to gather a ball that swirled in the stiff breeze. But Georgia Wareham, unflustered, smacked the penultimate ball to cover and hared the winning single.
“We are getting closer,” said Knight. “I’m really proud. Yes, I could have used Ecclestone the over before. Trying to manage bowlers is all captaincy is about.”
England are evidently closing the gap and will take heart from encouraging performances from Sophia Dunkley and a jaunty 29 by Knight. In Dunkley’s case, her half-century came up almost despite herself. Throwing everything but the kitchen sink at each attacking stroke, she was often too early on the ball and nothing came straight off the middle as intended, skewing, slicing and dragging the ball effectively if not deliberately.
She also stole singles with larcenous guile and Danni Wyatt, who enjoyed an extraordinary stroke of fortune when her first delivery from Megan Schutt kissed off stump but did not dislodge the bails, egged her on. When Wyatt departed for seven, trying to heave Schutt over the top, Alice Capsey came in but the 18-year-old suffered a brain-freeze having chiselled out a Darcie Brown yorker.
Ash Gardner falls caught behind for 31.Credit: Getty Images
Switching off, she dawdled while Brown pounced in her follow through and threw down the stumps. Capsey eventually scrambled back but did not ground her bat and had to go, walking off with a look of abject exasperation either with the decision or, more deservedly, herself.
Knight used her feet well and Dunkley kept accumulating with swipes and mows. When the captain was caught four yards in from the long-on boundary striving for her second six, it was incumbent on Dunkley to be both starter and finisher as Mooney did to win the match for Australia. Yet seven balls later she was gulled by Brown’s slower ball and had another heave, spooning a catch off a leading edge to short third.
Jones, having successfully overturned a leg-before decision on review, took on Dunkley’s mantle and plundered 29 off the final two overs, harpooning a yorker through the covers for four, feinting and darting across her crease to disrupt the bowlers’ lines, carting a six into the Hollies and another into the Raglan. Her 21-ball 40 emboldened a hugely supportive crowd to think England may have enough. Sadly for them, no summit seems unscaleable for Australia.
The Telegraph, London
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