Annabel Sutherland’s four-wicket haul was backed up by quality knocks by Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning as Australia defeated England by eight wickets in the third and final ODI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Tuesday. With this win, Australia won the Women’s Ashes 12-4 (points). Australia won the ODI series 3-0, T20I series 1-0 while the one-off Test had ended in a draw.
Chasing 164, Australia got off to an excellent start as openers Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes put on 47 runs inside the first ten overs. The 74-run opening stand eventually came to an end in the 16th over as Freya Davies got the better of Healy (42). In the very next over, Sophie Ecclestone removed Haynes (31) and as a result, there were two new batters at the crease.
Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry then got together at the crease and the duo ensured that Australia does not lose wickets in a cluster. In the end, Lanning (57*) and Perry (31*) guided Australia to an eight-wicket win with 82 balls to spare.
Earlier, Annabel Sutherland scalped four wickets as England was bowled out for 163 and the visitors were not able to play out the entire 50 overs.
Only three England batters managed to get in double-digits. Tammy Beaumont (50), Nat Sciver (46), and Charlotte Dean (18) were the only ones who showed some resistance with the bat.
Brief Scores: England 163 all out (Tammy Beaumont 50, Nat Sciver 46; Annabel Sutherland 4-31); Australia 164/2 (Meg Lanning 57*, Alyssa Healy 42, Sophie Ecclestone 1-18).
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