England v Australia – Third T20
Lord’s – Attendance 21,610!
England achieved the impossible by beating the world champions for the second time in three, to inflict a first series defeat on the Aussies for six years.
Gold shirts were spotted leaving the ground before the final action.
For most of the Australian innings the bowlers kept the lid on the boiling pot, but the start was everything England were seeking to avoid, misfields and loose deliveries. Batters of Beth Mooney’s quality don’t need Christmas presents in July.
Charlie Dean made the first breakthrough in the fourth over, pinning Alyssa Healy in front. By the end of the Powerplay Australia were motoring comfortably, 36-1. For once Heather Knight didn’t turn to spin as the fielders spread out wider. The plan worked, Danni Gibson getting the dangerous Tahlia McGrath caught by Alice Capsey.
Halfway was reached just as Nat Sciver-Brunt caught Mooney out, attempting a premeditated paddle. The run-rate was kept at an unremarkable 6.6.
The 14th over saw significant events. Rain started falling lightly and NS-B had Ash Gardner quite brilliantly caught by Amy Jones standing up. Most people thought she’d pulled off a stunning stumping as the ball lifted high above her head and she removed the bails. But no, she had caught a snick. We needed the slowest of slo-mos to prove the point. She didn’t.
Just as the 100 came up, the rain came down properly. This induced all sorts of doubts about strategy.
On resumption the batters found the going hard, but so did the bowlers and fielders. Ellyse Perry and Grace Harris were mainly responsible for pushing the total beyond 150, but England were badly at fault. Two consecutive balls from Sophie Ecclestone were dropped, by Gibson, then Capsey. The ground refused to open up to hide their shame. Ecclestone has taken on Katherine Brunt’s role of the bowler you dare not displease. If looks could kill…
The second innings
This was in the hands of the DLS method. When the umpires declared a resumption possible, we were told how many overs were available, 14, but not what the target was. The England captain was the most anxious person on the ground to discover that vital detail. 119 was the verdict. Gasps of disbelief. That many? But that is so often a first reaction to a DLS decision.
As it turned out, England got off to a whirlwind start, thanks mainly to Danni Wyatt who smacked six 4s off 15 balls (26). The Aussies didn’t close down her favourite option, over the top of the off-side.
NS-B kept the motor running (25/25), but it was Capsey, who after some indifferent form played an innings to remember. In front of an enthralled crowd she mixed outrageous reverses with mighty heaves over the mid-wicket boundary to make you wonder how much spinach she eats every day. She fell four short of a deserved 50, but had brought her side close to victory. (46/23)
Of course England don’t allow their fans to sit back and bask in easy victory. 107-2 descended to 117-5 as the overs ticked by.
With four balls left, in came Gibson to play an adventurous reverse first ball against the canny Jess Jonaasen. It worked. The ball ran beyond the despairing dives of two outfielders and England had achieved the impossible.
Result: Australia 155-7
England 121-5 (13.2 overs/14)
England win by 5 wickets (DLS method)
Player of the Match: Alice Capsey
Player of the Series: Danni Wyatt
Teams (unchanged from the second T20)
England: Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight (captain), Amy Jones (wk), Danielle Gibson, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Charlie Dean, Lauren Bell.
Australia: Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy (captain and wk), Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
Points: Australia 6 England 4
Now all England have to do is defeat the opposition three times out of three. Awkwardly, you have to go back to prehistory to find the last time Australia lost an ODI.
Attendances at the three T20s:
19,527 Birmingham
20,328 Kennington
21,610 St. John’s Wood
A pattern visible here.
