Wyatt scored 76 and Sutherland had 38 as England defeated Australia 183 for eight (Perry 51*, Glenn 2-27, Ecclestone 2-35) by three runs.
A Kia Oval audience of 20,328 was electrified by Danni Wyatt’s amazing half-century, lighting up the entire Ashes series. However, England’s bowlers came together to defend a tall score and defeat the great Australians by three runs in their second T20I.
The hosts got off to a quick start thanks to a 57-run opening combination between Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley. They were in trouble at 119 for 6 when a string of wickets fell, but Sophie Ecclestone’s cameo of 22 in only 12 balls, featuring 31-point stands with Wyatt and Sarah Glenn, enabled England to reach 186 for 9, their best T20I score against Australia. It was also the second-highest total ever given up by the Australians in the format, trailing only the 187 for 5 given up to India in December, which resulted in Australia’s lone other T20I loss in their previous 25 completed matches. India won that game in a Super Over.
Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney put Australia off to a better start than England, but spinners Ecclestone and Glenn each claimed two wickets and the visitors couldn’t cross the finish line despite Ellyse Perry’s valiant unbeaten half-century. The hosts needed to win all five of the remaining games to reclaim the Ashes going into the game, and after winning five straight to advance to the 50-over World Cup final last year after dropping their first three games, this victory might just have them daring to dream with a 6-2 deficit but eight more points still up for grabs.
Wyatt facing a charge
The most spectacular in a string of misfields early in England’s innings, Australia gave Dunkley a life when she skied Megan Schutt high to cover and while Tahlia McGrath sat beneath it, the ball slid between her hands. Wyatt assisted herself to back-to-back boundaries off Ashleigh Gardener, one over mid-off and the other threaded through third, and after the powerplay, England were 54 without loss, a significant improvement over their previous best of 36 for 2 in the first T20I at Edgbaston, which Australia won by four wickets with one ball remaining. McGrath juggled another opportunity off Dunkley, and it was obvious how relieved she was when she managed to hold on this time as Dunkley left for 23.
The most spectacular in a string of misfields early in England’s innings, Australia gave Dunkley a life when she skied Megan Schutt high to cover and while Tahlia McGrath sat beneath it, the ball slid between her hands. Wyatt assisted herself to back-to-back boundaries off Ashleigh Gardener, one over mid-off and the other threaded through third, and after the powerplay, England were 54 without loss, a significant improvement over their previous best of 36 for 2 in the first T20I at Edgbaston, which Australia won by four wickets with one ball remaining. McGrath juggled another opportunity off Dunkley, and it was obvious how relieved she was when she managed to hold on this time as Dunkley left for 23.
Sutherland makes a hit
Sutherland turned the tide in favor of Australia by taking two wickets in as many balls as England fell from 100 for one to 109 for four. When Alice Capsey tried to hook Sutherland but instead sent a top edge high towards short fine leg, wicketkeeper Healy calmly moved back to catch it, she lost for her second consecutive one-figure score in the series. The first ball Heather Knight faced, who was participating in her 100th T20I, was a cross-seam gem that angled in from outside of the crease, straightened, and pinched back off stump.
When Australia’s openers Healy and Mooney led them to 58 without loss in the powerplay, it appeared as though they would repeat their previous success. Healy was spectacular with 37 off 18, hitting two massive sixes from Sciver-Brunt in the fifth over, one over wide long-on and the other in front of square leg. She was unable to raise her total, however, as legspinner Glenn entered the fray in the seventh over and struck on the first delivery. The ball crashed into the middle, exposing Healy’s stumps as she attempted to run over short fine leg. McGrath was out after Charlie Dean caught a ball that missed extra cover and smacked it into wicketkeeper Jones. who flung the stumps to the ground. When Mooney picked out Wyatt at deep midwicket, Danielle Gibson, who made her debut in the first game at Edgbaston, took her first international wicket.
The fastest player to 100 wickets in T20Is after just 72 games, Ecclestone dismissed Gardner to the easiest return catch possible as Australia fell to 75 for 4. After 12 overs, Australia needed to score at a rate of 11.5 per over, and Dean, the offspinner who replaced seamer Freya Davies as the lone change for either team after the first match, bowled Grace Harris to keep England in the lead. In the 18th over, Georgia Wareham threatened with a four and then two sixes off DeanWith eight balls left, Lauren Bell, who had been costly, bowled Wareham with the score needing 31 from the final two overs. Even though Perry persevered till the very end, scoring 51 not out off just 27 balls, Australia still needed 20 off the final over.
