In a T20 over final at Edgbaston, Beth Mooney led Australia to victory over England. The T20 world champion team managed to chase down the target of 154 runs with just one ball to spare.
With the tension mounting, England captain Heather Knight bowled the final over to Sophie Ecclestone, widely regarded as the world’s top bowler, with Australia needing five runs to win. Annabelle Sutherland opened the over with a powerful shot that came down the ground for four runs. Although Ecclestone managed to save a single with a diving effort, Sutherland’s subsequent shot was caught by Amy Jones, who took a difficult high catch.
In a heart-stopping finish, Georgia Wareham punched the next delivery through cover, and along with the unbeaten Beth Mooney, she ran hard to secure the winning single. Despite being underdogs throughout the series, Australia’s win provided a thrilling reminder that the gap between the teams is closing, as Amy Jones points out.
The match captivated the crowd, surpassing the previous year’s Commonwealth Games attendance figures. Australia looked in control as they needed 24 off the last 19 balls with Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner at the crease. However, a sudden turn of events saw Gardner edge the ball to Jones off Ecclestone, after which Grace Harris was bowled by Sarah Glenn on her first delivery. Mooney stayed away bravely, but England’s Lauren Bell executed a superb back-of-the-hand silver ball to dismiss Ellyse Perry, setting up a tense final where England came close to beating Australia.
Earlier in the match, despite Sophia Dunkley’s resilient 42-ball half-century, England found themselves in trouble at 118 for seven in the 18th over. However, a spirited late charge from Amy Jones, who was unbeaten on 40 off 21 balls, built momentum in the innings and helped England build a competitive total.
Australia’s fielding performance was unusually below par, with missed run-out opportunities and dropped catches. Jess Jonasson missed an easy chance to run Jones out, while Georgia Wareham dropped a catch at deep midwicket when Jones was on 15. Jones capitalized on those opportunities, hitting a six in the Hollies stand and scoring 18 runs in the final over.
Jones exuded confidence, calling his innings his best for England and expressed his desire to repeat such a performance in every game. The match started slowly for England in the powerplay, with just four boundaries, three of them coming from Dunkley’s bat. The loss of early wickets spelled more trouble for the hosts, as Danny White lost his off-stump to Megan Shutt, and Natseur Brent was caught at deep midwicket by Jess Jonasson in the eighth over. Alice Keapsey received a warm welcome from the crowd but was unlucky as Darcy Brown took her out with a direct hit.
After a partnership of fifty between Heather Knight and Sophia Dunkley, both batsmen fell in quick succession, with Dunkley caught in the end at third after missing two previous chances. Debutant Danny Gibson survived Shutt’s hat-trick ball but soon sent a crucial edge to extra cover, leaving England in dire straits. However, Jones emerged as the savior for England.
With the next T20 match scheduled at The Oval on Wednesday, England face a tough task of winning all the remaining five matches of the series to reclaim the Ashes. The intense clash between the two teams left the spectators on the edge of their seats and served as a testament to the competitive nature of women’s cricket.
