England women v Australia women – 3rd Royal London Women’s Ashes One-Day International, New Road, Worcester
England will have to come from behind if they are to retain the Women’s Ashes after Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry combined to secure a comfortable Australia victory in the last of the three-match Royal London ODI series in Worcester.
Lanning showed her class for the second game running, following a century in Australia’s series-levelling win in Bristol on Thursday, by defying a slow New Road pitch to make 85 from 89 balls – and making England pay for fluffing a run-out chance when she was still in single figures.
Perry provided crucial support with 67 from 58 balls, continuing her consistent series with the bat, as Australia posted a total of 241 for seven – then dealt a huge double blow to England’s run chase by dismissing Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor in her first two overs.
The home team never really recovered, succumbing to 152 all out and an 89-run defeat that leaves them 4-2 down in the multi-format Ashes – although there are 10 points still to play for, starting with the Kia Test at Canterbury next week.
The win also lifts Australia five points clear at the top of the ICC Women’s World Championship, and seven ahead of England who remain in fourth – with only the top four teams securing automatic qualification to the 2017 World Cup.
England had chosen to bowl first on a fresh and cloudy morning after Sunday’s rain had forced the match into the reserve day.
They made a decent start, restricting Australia’s openers to 24 in the first 10 overs before Georgia Elwiss had Elyse Villani chipping to deep midwicket with her first ball of the series.
The pressure led to a mix-up between Lanning and Nicole Bolton which left Australia’s captain stranded, but Elwiss was unable to gather Natalie Sciver’s return from midwicket. Instead of reducing Australia to 49 for two, England had to wait until the 27th over before their next breakthrough, when Laura Marsh took a good catch at mid-off to dismiss Bolton for 40 from 89 balls.
Alyssa Healy joined Lanning to step up the pace in a third-wicket stand of 31, but it was when Perry joined her captain that the real damage was done.
They put on 85 in 13 overs, with Lanning enjoying a second life on 46 when Lydia Greenway could not hold a sharp chance at point off Katherine Brunt.
Brunt ended with decent figures of 10-2-37-0, and her new ball partner Anya Shrubsole was even more economical, conceding only 25 from her 10 overs. But they had both completed their allocation by the 39th over and Australia found runs much easier to come by against the rest of England’s attack.
Lanning was denied a second consecutive century when she hoisted Jenny Gunn to Sciver at long-on, but Perry powered on to take her tally for the series to 193 at an average of 64.
She then underlined her all-round value by having Edwards caught behind flirting at the fourth ball of the England innings, before Taylor played all around a straight one – and when Lauren Winfield was run out, England were left tottering on 30 for three.
Heather Knight and Lydia Greenway did their best to repair the damage with innings of 38 and 45 respectively, and Brunt justified her promotion up the order with 31 from 36 balls including the first six of the series by either side.
But after a fifth-wicket stand of 51 between Greenway and Brunt, the last six wickets tumbled for 29, three of them to the leg-spin of Kristen Beams.
England women won the toss and elected to bowl
Australia women – 241-6 (Meg Lanning 85, Ellyse Perry 67, Jenny Gunn 2-52)
50 overs
England women – 152 (Lydia Greenway 45, Ellyse Perry 2-16, Sarah Coyte 2-38)
43.1 overs
Australia women won by 89 runs
Australia women win the Royal London Women’s Ashes ODI Series 2-1
Australia women secure 2 Women’s Ashes points and 2 ICC Women’s Championship points
Women’s Ashes score line after three matches: England 2 – 4 Australia
Women’s Ashes Series 2015:
| Date | Format | Venue | Points for a win | Points for a tie / draw | Points for no result |
| July 21 | Royal London ODI* | The County Ground, Taunton | 2 points | 1 point | 1 point |
| July 23 | Royal London ODI* | Bristol County Ground | 2 points | 1 point | 1 point |
| July 26 | Royal London ODI* | New Road, Worcester | 2 points | 1 point | 1 point |
| August11 – 14 | Kia Women’s Test | The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence | 4 points | 2 points | 2 points |
| August 26 | NatWest T20I# | The Essex County Ground, Chelmsford | 2 points | Super Over | 1 point |
| August 28 | NatWest T20I# | The BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground, Hove | 2 points | Super Over | 1 point |
| August 31 | NatWest T20I+# | The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff | 2 points | Super Over | 1 point |
*ICC Women’s Championship fixture
#In the event of a draw in the NatWest T20I matches, a super over will be played
+Double-header with men’s NatWest T20I (England v Australia)
Live television coverage and radio commentary will be provided for all seven 2015 Women’s Ashes matches via Sky Sports and BBC Radio respectively.
