Ellyse Perry notches another milestone during Australia's straightforward seven-wicket win

Australia cruised to a seven-wicket win over England in the second T20I of the multi-format Women's Ashes series as Ellyse Perry notched up another milestone.

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Perry (47no) and captain Meg Lanning (43no) shared a match-defining unbeaten 87-run partnership, after the Southern Stars had slipped to 35-3, as they chased down 122 with 13 balls to spare in Hove.

All-rounder Perry became the first cricketer, male or female, to score at least 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20 internationals when she surpassed 42 in her innings.

Having fallen to their heaviest T20I defeat in their history in the first 20-over match in their previous match, the hosts' decision to set a total still ended in the same result with Tammy Beaumont's 43 the only innings of note as another disappointing England batting performance proved terminal.

A fifth win sees Australia stretch their lead in the series to 12-2 points with the final T20I between the teams to take place at Bristol on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports.

Muddled thinking costs England's batters

After Friday's thumping in Chelmsford, Heather Knight opted to put runs on the board on the used wicket in Sussex but Amy Jones fell to Perry for a fourth time in the series, slapping the all-rounder straight to cover for a two-ball duck.

Beaumont found her touch early, hitting Perry to the backward point boundary and picked up four overthrows next ball but the hosts were almost immediately pegged back as Beth Mooney took a brilliant catch running back from mid-on to see the back of Danni Wyatt (9).

Although an attempted tickle to the leg side saw Georgia Wareham bowl Nat Sciver to pick up a scalp with her first ball, Beaumont and captain Knight shared a 38-run fourth-wicket stand to apply some stability.

The England opener twice earned another life, Mooney spilling an easy take at mid-on when Beaumont was on 35 and again on 39 but her luck finally ran out when a quicker ball from spinner Jess Jonassen saw the ball go through the batter's leg and bowl her.

Wickets continued to fall on the slow, sticky pitch with Knight (17) spooning the ball straight back to bowler Wareham and Lauren Winfield's (12) attempt to go over the square leg boundary only succeeding in seeing her caught in the deep.

With another below-par score on the cards, Sophie Ecclestone survived nicking behind in the last over - wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy shelling the chance - and then struck the penultimate ball of the innings for a six straight back down the ground to drag England to 121-8.

Perry and Lanning reign supreme

Having brought in all-rounder Georgia Elwiss for seamer Anya Shrubsole, Knight's call to throw the ball to open up proved costly.

The opening six balls allowed Healy to find the ropes three times. heaving a full toss away to the leg side boundary, slapping the next past point for four more and the final delivery finely steered through the vacant third man region.

However, England fought their way back into the match as Katherine Brunt accounted for Healy (20) as a top-edge off the Australian opener's bat went high into the air and was well taken by Jones.

Ecclestone then bowled Mooney (9) and Ashleigh Gardner (1) chased after a wide ball from Kate Cross - sending it straight to Laura Marsh's hands at short third man.

The sides were evenly match after eight overs, the Southern Stars' 44-3 just one run more than England managed but Lanning and Perry snuffed out thoughts of a morale-boosting win for the hosts.

Watch the final T20I of the multi-format Women's Ashes series live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7pm on Wednesday.