England bowled out for lowest ODI total against Australia in Canterbury capitulation
Monday 8 July 2019 12:12, UK
England were skittled out for their lowest one-day international total against Australia as a dismal batting performance saw them fall to a 194-run loss in the third match of the multi-format Women's Ashes series at Canterbury.
Ellyse Perry claimed the best-ever figures for an Australian player in Women's ODI cricket of 7-22, including having Tammy Beaumont (4) and Sarah Taylor (0) dismissed off consecutive balls, as England collapsed to 21-6.
A mini-recovery from Fran Wilson (17) and Anya Shrubsole (11) provided some resistance but Perry returned to bowl the latter and have Sophie Ecclestone caught for an eight-ball duck as England capitulated to 75 all out in 32.5 overs.
Earlier, Alyssa Healy (68) and Meg Lanning (69) shared a 109-run second-wicket partnership as Australia put on 269-7 from their 50 overs.
Australia's third victory in the series sees them extend their lead to 6-0 points and the Southern Stars only need to draw the Test match or win one of the three T20Is to retain the Ashes trophy.
Sloppy fielding costs England
In a must-win ODI, England captain Heather Knight opted to bowl first on a fine outfield in Kent, hoping a change of tact at the start of the game could aid in a difference in fortune for the hosts - despite having an extra batter in the side as the returning Taylor replaced the injured Katherine Brunt.
Shrubsole was lucky to see an lbw shout account for the wicket of Nicole Bolton, with replays showing the ball would have just missed the stumps, but it brought the in-form Lanning to the crease.
The Southern Stars captain and opener Healy shared the first century stand of the series for either side, bludgeoning 18 boundaries between them as they put their side on course for over 300.
Healy reached her eighth ODI fifty off just 44 balls and Lanning brought up a run-a-ball half-century as poor fielding plagued England's efforts with the ball before Nat Sciver's fine second spell changed the course of the innings.
The England all-rounder was pulled behind square for four and followed it up by conceding five wides but then had Healy caught at deep square leg before Lanning sent a leading edge to point and Perry feather behind to Taylor - Sciver picking up 3-9 in 20 balls to drag England back into the match.
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Contributions from Ashleigh Gardner (29) and Jess Jonassen (24no) propelled the visitors to 269-7 as England left themselves facing an uphill task to fight their way back into the series.
Scintillating Perry inspires Australia
Having succumbed to Perry in the first two ODIs, Amy Jones was dismissed by the Australian all-rounder for a third innings in a row, chipping just the third ball of the innings straight to mid-on.
In her next over, Perry struck Beaumont flush on her front pad before a sensational outswinger saw Taylor caught behind for a golden duck and the Australian fast bowler then took the slightest edge of Knight's bat and trapped Danni Wyatt lbw to clinch her maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs against England.
In between the destruction Perry was causing from the Nackington End, Megan Schutt (2-21) quietly went about producing another fine spell, trapping Sciver lbw for a five-ball duck and bowling Wilson.
Perry then returned to bowl Shrubsole and have Ecclstone caught at mid-off to clinch the fourth-best figures of 7-22 in a Women's ODIs bettered only by Pakistan's Sajjida Shah (7-4), England's Jo Chamberlain (7-8) and the West Indies' Anisa Mohammed (7-14).
Jonassen polished off the innings as Laura Marsh's attempted sweep saw her trapped in front for an innings-high 21 with Australia clinching an impressive victory with a mammoth 103 balls spare.
Watch day one of the Women's Ashes Test match between England and Australia live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Thursday, July 18.
