Tammy Beaumont roared back into form and scored a hard working 78 on a testing pitch to help England post a par score on the board. Tammy Beaumont was positive from the get go and later slowed down when wickets were falling at the other end. Late lower order flourish has made sure that England get to a par score of 244/9 in 50 overs. The pitch is low and used and not as flat as the India-England game. So, this 245 won’t be a cakewalk for Australia who will fancy their chances because of a deep batting line-up.
England gets off to a solid start despite losing Amy Jones in the power play
Put into bat first, Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont came out to bat for England while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Beaumont got off the mark in delightful fashion as she stayed deep in the crease to pull it along the ground through backward square leg for a boundary. Kim Garth had the ball in hand from the other end and overstepped on the second ball. The free hit yielded a maximum as Beaumont planted her front leg and smashed it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Beaumont was not done there as she caressed her through the covers driving it for a boundary. Garth lost her radar as she gifted 4 leg byes to the batting side.
Schutt continued and bowled a quiet over. Garth bowled a maiden over. Jones broke the shackles as she dispatched Schutt over midwicket for a boundary. Jones was not done there as she hit Schutt for two more boundaries back-to-back to end the over as she hit it through cover point for those boundaries. Garth continued as Beaumont opened the face of the bat and guided past Molineux for a boundary. Schutt bowled another quiet over.
Garth continued and was punished as Beaumont took her on by hitting her for a hat-trick of boundaries first in front of square, then beat Schutt at fine leg and the third ball also went through backward point region. England had gotten past 50 and reached 55/0 in 8 overs.
Annabel Sutherland was introduced into the attack next. She bowled five good balls and then got the first breakthrough removing Jones for 18 off 26 balls with 3 boundaries to her name. Sutherland bowled a little fuller than good length on off-stump that got it to straighten a bit after pitching. Jones looked to knock it through mid-on but got beaten on the outside edge as she played down the wrong line as the ball hit the top of off-pole. Heather Knight came out to bat next.
Garth bowled the final over of powerplay and bowled a maiden over as England were 55/1 in 10 overs at the end of the powerplay.
Australia peg things back with a couple of wickets in this phase
Annabel Sutherland continued after the powerplay and bowled a miserly over. Sophie Molineux came into the attack next. Beaumont whipped her away by getting to the pitch of the ball and got it over midwicket for a boundary. Sutherland continued as Knight got a genuine outside edge past the diving keeper Mooney for a boundary to third man fence. Molineux continued and bowled another tight over.
Sutherland continued as Beaumont took the aerial route and lofted it over mid-on for a boundary. Molineux continued as Knight now danced down the track and shovelled it over short midwicket for a boundary. England were 83/1 in 16 overs when we had the first Drinks Break of the day.
Alana King was introduced into the attack post the break and she bowled a tidy first over. Molineux continued as Knight came down the track to get to the pitch of the ball and went over extra cover with a boundary. But the bowler hit back immediately getting rid of Knight for 20 off 27 balls with 3 fours to her name thanks to good usage of DRS.
Sophie bowled an arm ball on a good length on the middle and leg stump that skidded through and stayed low. Knight hopped back to tackle it and fell into the trap. She failed to get the bat line in time as the ball skidded past the inside edge and thudded on the front pad. Appeal was not given as it looked close. Australia reviewed and three reds meant that the decision was overturned to OUT. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt came out to bat next.
King continued and bowled another tight over. Garth returned to the attack as Beaumont hit her by playing late and chopping it between backward point and short third man for a boundary. She reached her fifty as well in 59 balls, her 24th ODI fifty. England were 98/2 in 20 overs. King bowled another probing over which was a maiden. Garth continued as the 100 came up for England in 21.1 overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt hit Garth as she flicked it away through backward square leg for a boundary and got to 1000 runs in ODI World Cups.
King continued and got her first wicket as she dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt for 7 off 14 balls with a boundary to her name. King bowled a flighted delivery leg break on the middle stump line that dipped on the batter as she stepped down the track to go downtown. The bat face turned in her hands as she looked to loft it away. The ball spun away and Sciver-Brunt sliced it to mid-off region. Annabel Sutherland ran back a few yards and took the catch easily. Sophia Dunkley came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon.
Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack now. She bowled a quiet first over. King continued and kept it tight as England at the halfway stage of the game were 108/3 in 25 overs.
Australia chip away at wickets to further push England back in the game
Gardner continued and bowled a decent over. King too kept things tight as usual. Gardner bowled another quiet over as runs came in singles at the moment. King bowled another probing over asking lots of questions. Gardner bowled another decent over as England reached 124/3 in 30 overs. King continued and appealed against Beaumont for caught behind. Australia reviewed but there was a flat line and the Aussies burnt the review. King gave away 4 byes to the batting side with no slip in place.
Gardner bowled a decent over. England were 132/3 in 32 overs when we paused for the second Drinks Break. Sutherland returned to the attack after the break and bowled a tight over. Sophie Molineux came back into the attack. She too bowled a decent over. Sutherland continued as Beaumont broke the shackles by going down on one knee and tried to play the ramp shot and got a faint edge past Mooney for a boundary. But Sutherland broke the budding stand getting rid of Beaumont for 78 off 105 balls with 10 fours and a maximum to her name.
Sutherland bowled the back of the hand slower ball outside off-stump. Beaumont got underneath it and looked to drag it to the leg side but got it off the bottom half of the bat. She hit it down to long-on region where Voll stationed right on the edge of the boundary grabbed it and when she lost balance threw the ball in the air stepped out and came back in to complete the catch. Emma Lamb came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Molineux continued as the 150 came up for England in 35.4 overs. Lamb then hit Sophie by clipping her past short fine leg for a boundary. Sutherland returned and got rid of Lamb for 7 off 10 balls with a boundary to her name. Sutherland bowled a back of the hand slower delivery on off-stump on a good length. Lamb didn’t pick up the variation as she was caught in the crease while defending it. She got beaten on the inside edge. The ball deflected off her back leg and onto the poles. Alice Capsey came out to bat next.
Molineux continued and bowled a tidy over. King came back into the attack and bowled another quiet over. Gardner struck for Australia again as she removed Dunkley for 22 off 48 balls as her struggle came to an end. Gardner from over the wicket bowled an off-break on a good length outside off-stump. Dunkley stepped out of the crease and looked to swipe it into the leg side. She failed to get to the pitch of the ball and missed it completely. Mooney behind the stumps collected it cleanly and whipped the bails in a flash. Charlie Dean came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Gardner ended a successful over of 2 runs and a wicket as England were at 168/6 in 40 overs with an important last 10 overs remaining for both teams.
A late flourish from the lower middle-order amidst the flurry of wickets helps England post 244/9 in 50 overs.
King continued and bowled another miserly over as she finished her impressive spell. Gardner continued as Dean got a lucky boundary away through an under edge that rolled between the legs of Mooney for a boundary. Sutherland returned to the attack as Dean hit her by playing the pull shot through square leg for a boundary. Capsey then joined the party and swivelled across between long leg and deep square leg for a boundary.
Gardner continued and bowled a decent over. Capsey took the attack to Sutherland as she hit her for two consecutive boundaries through the point region and swept the next ball through backward square leg for a boundary as the 200 came up for England in 44.2 overs. At the completion of 45 overs, England were 203/6. Molineux came into the attack as Capsey got down on one knee and swept it fine between the keeper and short fine leg for a boundary.
Sutherland continued as Capsey got down on one knee and slog swept it over midwicket region for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Capsey and Dean. Dean was not to be left behind as she shuffled across and got inside the line and executed the scoop through vacant fine leg for a boundary. Sutherland ended her impressive spell.
Molineux came back and got rid of Capsey for 38 off 32 balls with 5 fours to her name. Sophie bowled full on the leg stump. Capsey got down on one knee to sweep but it was too full to execute the stroke and missed on the inside edge. She was hit on the back pad and the Aussies appealed immediately. The finger went up. Capsey decided to review and ball tracking showed three reds and burnt the review as well. Sophie Ecclestone came out to bat next.
Gardner then got rid of Dean for 26 off 27 balls with 3 fours to her name. Gardner bowled a good length outside the off-stump. Dean danced down the track and looked to hit across the line. She wasn’t to the pitch of the ball and closed the bat face early. It didn’t spin either and caught the leading edge of Dean’s willow as the ball flew straight to Litchfield at extra cover who took it easily. Linsey Smith came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Ecclestone hit Gardner for a boundary by opening the face of the bat and squeezed it between cover and point for a boundary.
Molineux was tasked to bowl the final over of the innings. Smith was run out first ball trying to come back for the second run as she was sent back to the bowler’s end. She was dismissed for 3 off 3 balls. Lauren Bell came out to bat next. Ecclestone hit a boundary off the final ball of the innings by going down on one knee and swept it behind square on the leg side towards backward square leg as England finished with 244/9 in 50 overs. Ecclestone remained unbeaten on 10 off 7 balls with 2 fours to her name. Bell was unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls. 13 extras given by the fielding side.
The Australian bowlers bowled decently. Annabel Sutherland got hit towards the end, but she finished with 3/60 in 10 overs. Sophie Molineux finished with 2/52 in 10 overs. Ashleigh Gardner chipped in with 2/39 in 9 overs. Alana King was impressive in her 1/20 in 10 overs. Megan Schutt finished with 0/21 in 4 overs while Kim Garth finished with 0/43 in 7 overs. This meant Australia now needed 245 runs to win to go top of the points table.
Who’s Winning, Australia or England?
This game can go either ways. England have got runs on the board. Australia wanted to chase and they have enough batting to chase this target of 245 down. The pitch is a tad low and is helping the spinners and Sophie Ecclestone could be the key in this second innings. Australia would have taken this score at the start, but England have runs on the board. This game is up for grabs. Who wants it more?
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here. It’s anybody’s guess at this stage.
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