Australia have won the women’s Ashes series outright after sinking England in a controversial end to the second Twenty20 International of the multi-format series at Manuka Oval in Canberra, to make it five wins on the trot.
With England captain Heather Knight at the crease, the tourists needed 18 runs from the final five balls, but a late shower halted proceedings and the umpires called the match off a short time later for the Aussies to hang on in a nail-biter.
Knight, who had belted an unbeaten 43 off just 19 balls, had hit the first ball of the last over for a boundary and tossed her bat away in disgust after the umpires ordered the players off the field as the rain started falling.
England were behind on DLS by six runs at that point in the match so the Aussies were awarded victory when play was abandoned.
Following her player-of-the-match performance as Australia ensured they will retain the Ashes with victory in the opening T20I in Sydney, Beth Mooney (44) again dominated with the bat on Thursday night to put the hosts in a commanding position.
But it was stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath who shone brightest for Australia, top-scoring with a blistering 48 not out off 35 balls, with Australia finishing their 20 overs at 5-185.
The mountain to climb was too much for England in their bid to claim their first win of the series – they started well but ended up falling short and probably would have still done so if the rain had not brought a premature end to the match.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge blasted 52 off 40 balls, including eight boundaries, and Sophia Dunkley added 32 from 22 as England looked in control at 1-98.
Tahlia McGrath bats in Canberra. (Photo by Brendon Thorne – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
But they departed within one run of each other after a double strike by fast bowler Megan Schutt.
Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight swung freely to put on a half-century stand but with two overs remaining, the tourists still needed 32 to win.
Sciver-Brunt chopped Kim Garth onto the stumps to be on her way for a 20-ball 22 in the penultimate over.
Australia were again missing captain Alyssa Healy (foot) and star allrounder Ash Gardner (calf) to injury as they were sent in to bat by a confidence-deprived England.
Healy was ruled out of the final T20I on Saturday, while Gardner’s availability remains uncertain.
Mooney, opening the batting alongside rising star Georgia Voll for a second straight match, monopolised the strike as she got the hosts off to a blistering start, racing out to 47 runs after the first five overs.
Lauren Bell was singled out for punishment by Mooney, conceding 25 runs from her two overs.
Voll, content to watch from the non-striker’s end as her experienced partner dispatched seven fours from 31 balls, had to wait until the fifth over to get off the mark.
The 21-year-old powerfully pulled Charlie Dean over mid-wicket for a boundary but four balls later was run out by Maia Bouchier for five, stranded well out of her crease.
Soon after, Mooney was stumped by Amy Jones when charging a wide Sophie Ecclestone delivery down leg, falling six runs short of a second consecutive half-century.
Momentum shifted England’s way with the wickets of Ellyse Perry (2) and Phoebe Litchfield (17) falling in quick succession while the Australian run rate flagged.
McGrath steadied the ship alongside Annabel Sutherland (18) as the pair saw Australia into triple figures.
McGrath, supported by Grace Harris (35), stepped up the run rate in the dying stages, with the pair notching a 71-run stand off 35 balls.
Harris belted successive sixes off Charlie Dean as the tweaker was smashed for 17 in one over.
Sloppy fielding again cost England, with Kemp dropping Sutherland on two and Dean putting McGrath down on 42.
Bell sent a scare through the England camp, leaving the field momentarily after falling to the ground with an apparent bout of dizziness, before recovering to rejoin the contest.
The win moves Australia to 10 points, with only six points left up for grabs across the final T20 in Adelaide and the one-off day-night Test in Melbourne.
with AAP
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