Australia win Women’s Ashes series aa rain halts dramatic England T20 chase
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Australia have won the Ashes outright after sealing victory in the second T20 in Canberra amid a controversial finish as England fought to seal a tight rain-affected run-chase. The hosts won by only six runs under the DLS method and now go 10-0 up in points to keep alive the prospect of a series whitewash.
However, as the officials had pulled the players from the field with five balls remaining, the England captain, Heather Knight was seen remonstrating with umpires before reluctantly walking off. England needed an unlikely 18 to win, but Knight - on strike and unbeaten on 43 - clearly felt she could have pulled off the result.
It was the second time rain had intervened: earlier, England had been two runs ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern when the players were forced from the field due to rain, 8.4 overs into England’s run-chase. Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley continued to put the pressure on the Australian fielders after the resumption, sending the wet ball through their hands and flying to all corners of the ground.
But six balls after bringing up her half-century Wyatt-Hodge finally picked out mid-off, and Megan Schutt struck again in the same over, moving the ball in to take out Dunkley’s off-stump. Knight might love batting at Manuka Oval – she has hit two hundreds and four half-centuries at this ground – but 87 from the final 42 balls proved a step too far even for her as the rain grew heavier, and her half-century stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt for the fourth wicket went in vain.
